Foreign student did not realise assault illegal

A South African student who attacked his room-mate with a baseball bat while he was asleep, said he was surprised to learn he was acting illegally in New Zealand, Nelson District Court was told yesterday.

Artur Kalauov, 19, was sentenced to six months in jail after earlier pleading guilty to a charge of assault with intent to injure.

Judge Tony Zohrab said a fight broke out between Kalauov and his room-mate at the Nelson Aviation College in Motueka, near Nelson, after the room-mate arrived home in the early hours of September 4.

When the room-mate was asleep, Kalauov grabbed a metre-long baseball bat from outside, and bashed the victim around the head, shoulder and leg.

The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance after the attack, Judge Zohrab said.

Kalauov's lawyer, John Sandston, said Kalauov had not believed he was acting illegally.

"He didn't even realise what he had done was a criminal act.

"In his culture they deal with things in a much more robust fashion."

Mr Sandston said the victim had verbally provoked Kalauov a number of times before the attack but he was very remorseful.

Judge Zohrab said he found it hard to accept that even in South Africa, people would find it appropriate to resolve personal differences by hitting someone with a baseball bat.

"You could have killed this guy," he said.

He sentenced Kalauov to six months in prison, and granted leave for him to apply for home detention.

- NZPA