Prison for man who beat up 'good samaritan' pensioner

A man has been jailed for four years for beating up and robbing a pensioner who stopped to give him a lift.

Daniel Llewelyn Smith, 28, pleaded guilty in Tauranga District Court this week to robbery, theft and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

The 76-year-old victim stopped to give Smith a lift in Tauranga on March 23 last year, The Bay of Plenty Times reported.

As soon as Smith hopped in, he began hitting the driver twice in the side of the head, dislodging his glasses.

Smith then punched and pushed the elderly man, causing him to fall out of the car to the ground.

Smith then delivered further punches before robbing him of his wallet and watch, and driving off his car.

The victim suffered a laceration to his forearm, bruising to his head and body and was left dazed.

Smith also stole a woman's car from a Tauranga supermarket car park fitting it with false registration plates and driving it around for several days. Some of more than $1000 in property inside the vehicle remained unrecovered.

Judge Christopher Harding told Smith the robbery had taken a huge emotional toll on his elderly victim.

Smith's "quite disturbing" criminal record which included assaults, burglaries, interfering with vehicles, and robberies was also an aggravating factor.

- NZPA