Machete wielding drunk teen escapes jail

A Mount Maunganui teenager who went on drunken rampage with a machete should count himself lucky to avoid a prison sentence, a judge said yesterday.

Mikaera Joseph Rawiri was arrested by armed police after running riot through the Bayfair Shopping Mall with the machete terrorising members of the public.

He earlier pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, threatens to do grievous bodily harm and threatening behaviour.

In Tauranga District Court yesterday, Judge Paul Geoghegan sentenced him to five months' community detention and 12 months' supervision.

The judge told Rawiri his acts "were absolutely cowardly" but he was prepared to step back from a term of imprisonment because it seemed Rawiri was at a cross-roads.

If he was truly motivated to address the causes of his offending, it was far better to give him that opportunity.

However, the judge warned that reoffending in a similar way would result in prison.

- NZPA