A man who smashed the window of the Seabreeze Cafe in Picton has gone to prison for "unnecessary and bizarre" behaviour, including a threat to chop off a constable's head. Photo / Auckland iSite
A man who smashed the window of the Seabreeze Cafe in Picton has gone to prison for "unnecessary and bizarre" behaviour, including a threat to chop off a constable's head. Photo / Auckland iSite
A man who threatened to cut off a policeman's head when his request for a cigarette lighter was refused has gone to prison for month.
Karl Jacob Holland got his wish, having already smashed the glass front of a Picton cafe and then setting fire to rubbish in Blenheim. He told police he wanted to go to prison where he could get "three hot meals, watch TV and work out".
His behaviour was described by a judge as "unnecessary and bizarre" and that he had basically made a nuisance of himself.
Holland admitted charges in the Blenheim District Court today of wilful damage, disorderly behaviour and speaking threateningly - a charge reduced from one of threatening to kill, after events which began in Picton on July 3.
A man sentenced in the Blenheim court today was granted his wish of going to prison where he "felt at home". Photo / Tracy Neal
Holland was walking through the township that night when he smashed his head against the window of the Seabreeze Cafe, shattering the glass which was then scattered through the cafe. He continued walking through Picton, punching windows as he went.
He was arrested and charged and told police he wanted to go back to prison because that's where he "felt at home".
The next night Holland was in Blenheim, when he gathered rubbish onto the street and set it on fire. Police arrived first and put out the fire, before the fire service turned up to check it was out.
Holland was then taken into custody, and when he asked for a cigarette lighter, he told the attending constable he would "cut off his head" if he didn't oblige.
His lawyer Kent Arnott said it was a sad situation and that Holland acknowledged he had been drinking, and things had "just got too much for him".
Judge Jo Rielly said despite assurances from Holland that he now "felt better" after two weeks in custody, which had allowed him time to dry out, the probation report showed compliance with an existing rehabilitation sentence was unsatisfactory.
"You have gone on to commit these offences and make an absolute nuisance of yourself," Judge Rielly told Holland, adding that she hoped he was as committed to improvement as he said he was.
She sentenced him to a month in prison, and ordered him to pay $2500 reparation for damage to the cafe window.
Holland was also encouraged to re-engage with his sentence of intensive supervision once released.
