A West Coast man who fired a .303 rifle in the direction of a woman then knocked her semi-unconscious with the weapon's butt was jailed for seven years yesterday.
Christopher Wilcox, 39, of Hokitika, admitted charges of wounding a woman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, aggravated burglary and threatening to kill.
He was initially charged with attempted murder, but the Crown withdrew that charge before he pleaded guilty yesterday in the Greymouth District Court.
Judge Murray Abbott sentenced Wilcox to a 3 1/2-year non-parole period and ordered him to pay $1000 to his victim.
Crown prosecutor Karyn South said Wilcox and the woman knew each other through a mutual friend.
Angered by a belief the woman was spreading malicious rumours about him, Wilcox stormed in through the rear door of her house and confronted her in the hall.
He fired the rifle at her and the bullet shattered a glass pane in the front door as the woman ducked out of the way into a doorway.
He followed her into the lounge, saying repeatedly, "you have stirred things up. I am going to kill you".
As the woman struggled with him for control of the rifle, Wilcox reversed it and struck her twice in the head.
Still conscious, his victim tried to crawl to safety, but Wilcox knocked her out with a punch to the face.
Realising the woman was having difficulty breathing, Wilcox rolled her into the recovery position and fled, dumping the rifle nearby before going to the police.
Defence lawyer Richard Bodle said Wilcox had only intended to frighten the woman, and had waited until she was out of the way before discharging the weapon.
- NZPA
Seven years for angry man who fired rifle at woman
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