Man who throttled girl, 16, 'didn't mean to hurt anyone'

A man who attacked a teenage holidaymaker in Golden Bay hid under a bunk where the girl was staying, then throttled her in her bed.

Daniel Jeffrey Greathead, a 30-year-old farmhand of Tata Beach, admitted charges of burglary and aggravated wounding in the Nelson District Court. Police withdrew a charge of attempted murder.

Prosecuting Sergeant Chris Stringer said that late on November 24, Greathead drove to a private property known as the Woolshed at Tata Beach, 16km northeast of Takaka, where the victim and five friends were staying.

The girls, who did not know Greathead, were alarmed when he appeared. They asked him to leave.

Mr Stringer said Greathead drove about 600m to his home, then walked back to the Woolshed and peered in the windows. He climbed through an unlatched bathroom window and hid under an unoccupied bunk.

After the girl's friends went to bed and the lights were out, Greathead went into the bedroom where the 16-year-old victim was, startling her and causing her to call out.

"On hearing her voice the defendant moved rapidly to where she was lying on her bed and grabbed her by the throat with both hands," Mr Stringer said.

Greathead throttled her for longer than a minute, severely restricting air and blood supply and causing her to partially black out.

But the girl managed to bite his hand before he released her, and screamed for help. Greathead fled.

Mr Stringer said the teenager suffered bruising to her neck, a bleeding nose, and the pupils of her eyes haemorrhaged.

Greathead, who claimed he had entered the property to burgle it, not to hurt anyone, was remanded him in custody until January 20 for a pre-sentence report, alcohol and drug assessment and sentence.

- NZPA