Teen sentenced for brutal tourist attack

A British man left unconscious after a street attack in a Napier suburb early this year might not be able to continue his career as a commercial pilot, the Napier District Court was told today.

One of his attackers, 17 year-old Joshua McConville, was today sentenced to three years and nine months' jail after earlier pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was sentenced to two months' jail on two other charges of using abusive and threatening language, to be served concurrently.

Judge Tony Adeane said 29-year-old Stuart Martin had been living in Australia and had come to New Zealand for a friend's wedding when he was assaulted in February this year.

He had since returned to his family in England to recuperate but had ongoing neurological complications which affected his moods.

The assault by three youths had left him unsure and uneasy and authorities in the United Kingdom might have considerable misgivings about relicensing him as a commercial pilot, said Judge Adeane.

Mr Martin was knocked to the ground by McConville and two associates before being repeatedly punched and kicked. McConville stomped on his head, leaving an impression of his shoe on the side of his victim's face.

The three left Mr Martin unconscious on the Taradale street. He was later put into an induced coma for several days, with swelling to his face and head.

Judge Adeane said the attack was one of extreme violence causing what were initially life-threatening injuries and Mr Martin had been lucky to survive.

Prosecutor Russell Collins said McConville should be grateful for the skills of staff at the emergency department of Hawke's Bay Hospital who treated Mr Martin.

Defence counsel Bill Calver said the defendant had entered early guilty pleas and made no excuses for his actions.

"No one else is to blame for his predicament but himself," said Mr Calver.

While his client had taken part in the vicious assault in his drunken state, he was not inherently an evil or bad person.

He understood the victim was making progress in his rehabilitation and there was an outside chance he would regain most of his normal bodily functions.

"The consequences, while bad, are not as serious as they might have been," he said.

The three youths were an example of the damage caused in New Zealand by the binge drinking culture and in this instance, three dozen bottles of alcohol were consumed, including two dozen stubbies of beer and a dozen pre-mixed bottles of alcohol.

- NZPA