Thugs who bashed samaritan sentenced | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

A good samaritan, who rushed to the aid of his elderly neighbour when he heard him being abused and threatened, was hauled into the middle of the street by two young men then kicked and punched.

The attackers were sentenced on Monday in the Whanganui District Court by Judge John Clapham, who described both the abuse of the 70-year-old man and his ill wife and the assault as disgusting and appalling.

"It is totally unacceptable," the judge said. "An elderly couple should be safe inside their property at 11.20pm at night. Here was an elderly man and his very sick wife confronted by a young man bigger in weight, size and height, who had been drinking and liquor is no excuse in this case."

Danny Narsimia Guild, 19, was jailed for seven months for assault with intent to injure, common assault and behaving threateningly on April 30.

His co-offender, Maui McPherson, 21, was sentenced to five months' home detention.

The court was told that Guild had lost his licence earlier in April after police caught him driving recklessly late on a Friday night.

Guild believed it was his elderly victim who had made the call to police that night.

On April 30, after drinking heavily with friends until he was "grossly intoxicated", he decided to pay the old man a visit and have it out with him, the court was told.

Judge Clapham said Guild created a huge ruckus outside the house until the elderly man and his wife came out to see what was going on.

Guild challenged the old man about calling the police and blamed him for losing him his licence.

"Guild was aggressive when he went up the drive, closing in on the victim. He made a shape of gun with his fingers and pointed it at the old man's head," Judge Clapham said. A young couple who lived next door with their baby heard the noise and came running out.

When the man pleaded with Guild to calm down and leave the old couple alone, Guild and McPherson grabbed him and dragged him into the middle of the street. They then both kicked and punched him, Judge Clapham said.

The man's wife screamed for help and for other neighbours to come and help them.

Guild and McPherson ran off when other neighbours started arriving.

The man needed medical attention for extensive bruising to his ribs, arms and head.

In her victim impact report, the man's wife said the incident was so sick it had made her vomit.

It was a "living nightmare" watching her husband being kicked and punched in the head and body when he was only trying to help out their elderly neighbours.

The families of both offenders were in court and a raft of letters and references had been handed up to the judge about the two men.

But reading the letters about each accused was like reading about completely different people, Judge Clapham said.

He said he found it hard to believe that a family friend had actually written that McPherson's actions that night had been in self-defence.

"It would have been helpful if this friend had actually read the real facts of the case before writing his letter," the judge observed.

Judge Clapham ordered McPherson to pay emotional harm reparation of $500 and ordered Guild to pay $750.

The elderly victim told the Wanganui Chronicle after the court hearing that Guild had looked like quite a reasonable sort of chap at first.

"I think it's very unfortunate he has been jailed, very unfortunate indeed. If only he'd stopped and listened to reason but he was too drunk. My neighbour was only telling him to stop picking on an old man, then what they did to him was shocking. It was terrible."