Garry Hariaroha Brown gets five-year sentence for violent attack at Luggate Campground

Garry Hariaroha Brown appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week on charges of indecent assault and injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Photo / George Heard

A night of “serious violence” at Luggate Campground left a man trapped inside his caravan, unable to escape the fury of a fellow camper.

Garry Hariaroha Brown, 37, appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week on charges of indecent assault and injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, after making sexual advances towards a fellow camper and violently attacking another.

At 5pm on August 6, Brown was having a few drinks with a female resident when he began to ramble. Feeling uncomfortable, she stood up to leave.

The defendant pulled the woman into a tight hug, grabbed her face with both hands and put his tongue in her mouth. The victim escaped Brown’s clutches by kicking him in the leg.

The woman received no injuries but had grown anxious and wary of strangers since the incident, the court heard.

Counsel Andrew Dawson said his client was struggling “to reconcile the indecent assault” as this kind of conduct was not in his nature.

More “out-of-character” behaviour followed, with Judge Michael Turner saying on the night in question Brown was “looking for a confrontation”.

Six hours later, Brown was playing loud music in his car when a fellow camper approached and asked him to turn it down.

The man returned to his caravan.

But five minutes later, Brown accused the man of stealing his wallet.

Grabbing the victim by the neck, the defendant punched him multiple times in the face.

Managing to escape to the bed, the man watched as Brown brandished a butter knife, threatening gang violence if he called police.

Throttling the victim, Brown fell on top of him before delivering several more punches.

During the attack the defendant was rambling incoherently, telling the man “don’t mess with me”.

In an attempt to appease his attacker, the victim gave Brown $200 and was reportedly too afraid to leave his caravan.

It is not known how long the “prolonged attack” lasted, with the court hearing that neither the victim nor defendant could accurately account for time.

After returning to his vehicle and finding his wallet, Brown approached the caravan at 7am — throwing the $200 through the caravan window before smashing it.

The victim received substantial haematomas all over his upper body, severe bruising around his neck, a cracked cheekbone and facial lacerations, the court heard.

In an interview with police, Brown denied the attack yet stated “the victim bruises easily”.

The victim faced significant financial loss as he had to cover the cost of his broken window, new glasses, dental work and hospital treatment.

Dawson acknowledged the “serious violence” his client offered but drew the court’s attention to Brown’s challenging history — being born into an environment rife with gang affiliations and various forms of abuse.

“I accept that your father had gang connections and there was violence that you witnessed, which would have negatively influenced you and impacted how you dealt with stressful situations,” Judge Turner said.

Brown was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment and said he looked forward to his release when he would focus on his employment in the building industry and spending time with his family.