Shooter will serve community sentence

SENTENCED: Claire Michelle Hanify, 43, has been sentenced to community detention and community work for shooting a man with an airgun when she went to collect a $5000 debt from him.PHOTO/ FILE

For shooting a man who owed her money in the neck with an airgun, Claire Michelle Hanify will serve a community-based sentence.

The 43-year-old was sentenced to three months' community detention and 150 hours' community work when she appeared in Masterton District Court for sentencing after being convicted following a defended hearing on a charge of assault with a weapon.

Hanify earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of wilful damage regarding the same incident on June 14, when she tracked Bevan Richards down at his Featherston home looking for $5000 he owed her. During a scuffle at the house as the residents tried to get her to leave, Hanify broke a front window with her fist and then shot a BB pellet through another window before shooting Mr Richards in the arm and neck with the same gun.

The court had been told Hanify was intoxicated at the time after drinking with a friend in the hours prior to the assault.

She had come to Wairarapa from Wellington looking for Mr Richards to get the money owed.

He is to undergo surgery to remove the pellet lodged in his throat.

Prior to sentencing, defence lawyer Jock Blathwayt told the court his client was still "$5000 out of pocket" and had gone to the house intoxicated.

"She had a few drinks for Dutch courage," he said.

Judge Tony Walsh noted the pre-sentence report stated Hanify was at low risk of reoffending, owed $2600 in fines and was doing well on a previous sentence of supervision.

He said her previous convictions were for traffic offences.

"Alcohol was clearly a factor in this offending," he said.

Hanify will served her community detention in Levin between the hours of 9pm and 8am daily.