Jurors delivered a majority verdict of guilty against a Dargaville man charged with a vicious assault on a police officer who was kicked in the head while helping a colleague quell disorder on Christmas Day.
It took the jury four-and-a-half hours to return the verdict in the Whangarei District Court last week on Joshua Mohetaue, 30, on one charge of injuring with intent to injure.
He was found guilty of assaulting Constable Graham Gallaghan by repeatedly kicking him in the head, then jumping on his head on Tirirau Rd, Dargaville, on Christmas Day in 2013.
Mr Gallaghan and Constable Ewen Cumming were assaulted after the latter went to attend reports of two men yelling obscenities, knocking over letter boxes, punching metal poles and concrete walls. Mohetaue initially pleaded not guilty on one charge of aggravated assault and another of injuring with intent.
On Thursday last week, he pleaded guilty to the charge of aggravated assault.