Man who assaulted Rotorua Intermediate School teacher Alasdair Hay fails to appear

Sheldon Tawhiti-Ormsby at a previous appearance in the Rotorua District Court. Photo / File

The man who punched a school teacher in the face and knocked him to the ground has failed to turn up to be sentenced for the second time, in a move the victim's employer says is hindering progress.

Sheldon Tawhiti-Ormsby, 19, from Rotorua, was due to appear in the Tauranga District Court to be sentenced today. It was to be his second appearance for sentencing after he failed to appear in the Rotorua District Court in May and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

He evaded police until mid-August when he handed himself in. Today he failed to appear for sentencing a second time and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

In March he pleaded guilty in the Rotorua District Court to assaulting Rotorua Intermediate School teacher Alasdair Hay at school pick-up on February 27.

Hay suggested a vehicle Tawhiti-Ormsby was a passenger in turn left onto the main road, rather than right crossing traffic to help alleviate traffic build-up. When they failed to, Hay then grabbed his phone and took a photo.

Tawhiti-Ormsby got out of the vehicle and "charged" at Hay, punching him to his face with a closed fist and causing him to stumble and fall on the ground.

Alasdair Hay (centre) was heavily involved in theatre. Photo / File

Tawhiti-Ormsby then got back in the car and it left.

When police spoke to Tawhiti-Ormsby, he admitted what he did and said he was angry at the victim because he thought the victim was being "cheeky".

Tawhiti-Ormsby admitted punching Hay in the face, knocking him to the ground and causing him to sprain his ankle and suffer a concussion.

Hay was initially expected to be away from school for a week but ended up taking months off work after the assault left him with concussion symptoms including headaches and difficulty with concentration. He also had reduced mobility in his ankle from a chipped bone.

Tawhiti-Ormsby is now facing two breaches of bail charges and a failure to answer bail charge as well as the assault charge to which he has already pleaded guilty.

Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry. Photo / File

Rotorua Intermediate School principal Garry de Thierry told the Rotorua Daily Post today's result was disappointing.

"It's just a shame he's not fronting up and taking responsibility and facing the consequences. It's a bit of a circus really. He's digging himself a bigger hole.

"Everyone wants closure, to be able to move on with their lives. This definitely hinders that progress."