The man told the Gore District Court yesterday he was embarrassed by his violent threats and vigilante justice last November, as he works with troubled youth.
The police summary said the victim was at the courthouse on November 5 to face charges of sexually violating the defendant’s niece.
The defendant approached the man, telling him was going to smash his head in and threatening to kill him.
He then followed the man into the courtroom and sat behind him, telling him after the hearing he would be waiting outside.
The defendant and another associate waited outside for the victim to leave.
The victim alerted court staff to the violent threats and was escorted out the back of the court by police.
Three days later, the defendant approached the man inside Gore New World and told him he was a "f...... rapist".
When told to leave the man alone, the defendant replied he would see him outside in the carpark.
He followed the victim outside with a trolley, picked it up and threw it at his head.
The wheel hit the victim’s face and the defendant walked away.
Counsel John Fraser said his client was embarrassed to be before the court, as the man works with troubled youth.
The man had previous convictions, but none of a violent nature.
The sexual assault allegations "underpins this event, but it doesn’t excuse it", Mr Fraser said.
When his client saw the man again at the supermarket he became emotional and threw the trolley, counsel said.
"He understands he dealt with the matter quite inappropriately," he said.
Restorative justice was not appropriate due to the other matters before the court and the defendant, as a counsellor of troubled youth, was "not flush with money", counsel said.
Judge Russell Walker told the defendant the threats and violence were not a good example to the rangatahi (youth) the man worked with.
"I understand why you were feeling emotional ... but that’s not a reason for you to take the law into your own hands," the judge said.
"You simply lost control."
For speaking threateningly and the assault, the man was sentenced to 60 hours' community work.
