Overstayer guilty of shooting wife

An illegal Afghan overstayer has been convicted of shooting his New Zealand wife in the back, causing injuries that left her wheelchair-bound.

A jury in the High Court at Auckland found Wali Javed Allahyai, 28, guilty of wounding his wife, Amanda Louise Hapeta, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and other charges. He was cleared of attempting to murder her.

Allahyai was remanded for sentencing. He is expected to be deported when he finishes his sentence.

The court was told that the shooting happened four days after Allahyai had been released from prison on immigration matters last August 8.

Ms Hapeta, 24, told the court that Allahyai fired a shot over a neighbour's fence in Manurewa on August 12 last year as she sat on the ground playing with a puppy.

She told him to put the gun away and seconds later she said she felt an agonising burning pain in her back, though she did not see Allahyai shoot her.

- NZPA