A South Island hairdresser who attacked his flatmate with a knife is likely to be deported.
Nilanka Kalutharage, 30, a Sri Lankan national living in the resort town on an accredited work visa, was sentenced in the Queenstown District Court last week on a charge of injuring with reckless disregard in relation to the October 9 incident.
The victim, a Nepalese national who was sharing a boarding house with Kalutharage and nine others at the time, was asleep following a night shift when he was woken by the defendant making noise in the kitchen, Judge M. Williams said.
When he went to ask Kalutharage to be quiet, the pair began arguing and shoving each other.
The defendant then grabbed a large kitchen knife and began swinging it at the victim, who was cut on his fingers as he tried to defend himself.
Kalutharage also caused cuts to the victim’s upper arm and ear before a third flatmate entered the kitchen, restrained him and forced him to release the knife.
However, the altercation then restarted in the lounge, where the victim picked up a chair and held it above his head, prompting the defendant to get a second knife from another room.
Brandishing the knife by his head, Kalutharage advanced on the victim, but a fourth flatmate managed to grab his arm and take the knife off him.
The victim suffered cuts to his ear, neck, cheek and lacerations across three fingers.
Defence counsel Bryony Shackell said the defendant had picked up the knife in the first instance after feeling threatened by the victim.
"He’s waved it around and there’s been some modest harm caused as a result of that, for which he’s extremely shocked and ashamed."
He had found himself in a situation for which he did not have the mental skills to deal with, Ms Shackell said.
Although his visa was not due to expire until September, he was likely to be deported before then.
Judge Williams said the incident would have been a "terrifying experience" for the victim.
"A knife is a lethal weapon and you could’ve caused far more serious injuries than were actually inflicted."
He convicted Kalutharage and ordered him to perform 150 hours’ community work and pay the victim $500 reparation for emotional harm.
He also imposed nine months’ supervision — to enable counselling for his anger issues — which he set to coincide with the expiry of the defendant’s visa.
"Whether [Immigration NZ] deports you before your visa expires is a matter for them."
