A teenager drove around the Gore town centre, firing an air gun at members of the public, before training his sights on a roadworker.
Caleb Sinclair, 19, was sentenced in the Gore District Court on Tuesday for unlawfully presenting an air gun and assault with an air gun.
The court heard on the afternoon of November 6 the 19-year-old sat in the back seat of a moving car firing a black Airsoft pistol out the window at passers-by.
The car then travelled to Robertson St, where a group of road workers were operating, and the defendant shot the victim in the leg.
The worker said the shot was immensely painful, causing her to cry and later develop a large bruise.
In a statement, the victim said she had worked on roads across Southland and had always felt safe, but since the incident she felt constantly nervous at her job.
Defence counsel Scott Williamson said his client’s actions were ‘‘youthful stupidity’’ that were not premeditated.
The two convictions were punishment enough, Mr Williamson said, as Sinclair would probably never be able to hold a firearms licence as a result.
Judge Mark Williams said a comment the defendant made directly after the incident — that he could not see how the shot could have hurt the victim — highlighted the man’s immaturity.
In a report before the court, however, Sinclair said he later regretted his actions.
The judge rejected the defence’s idea that there was no premeditation as the teen had been repeatedly firing at members of the public before hitting the victim.
If the defendant was in his 20s or had previous convictions, Judge Williams said, his sentence would be ‘‘very different’’.
‘‘You could have caused someone some quite serious injuries ... perhaps taken an eye out or something like that,’’ he said.
Judge Williams also said Sinclair’s recent full-time job as a roofer was better for him than home detention.
‘‘You are of more use to the community in gainful employment than sat around at home doing nothing,’’ the judge said.
The man was ordered to pay $250 to the victim and to come up if called upon for 12 months.
