Jail term for youth who kicked and punched man, aged 73

Press, 25 February 1988, Page 28

Jail term for youth who kicked and punched man, aged 73

A Rangiora youth, aged 19, who repeatedly kicked and punched a man, aged 73, in the neck and chest until he passed out, was sentenced to six months imprisonment when he appeared before Judge Noble in the District Court in Rangiora yesterday. Allan Craig Kinsella, a labourer (Mr Keith Hales), had earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting John O’Brien

with intent to injure. Kinsella was also sentenced concurrently to one month's imprisonment on each of three other charges of assault. He had earlier pleaded guilty to asaulting Rochelle Ann Bennett, Leigh Andrew Powell and Christopher David Shaw. His brother, Troy William Kinsella, aged 18, was sentenced to four months periodic detention. He had earlier

pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Powell and Mr Shaw. The Judge said that, according to the summary of facts, the probation report and Mr Hales’ submissions, Allan Kinsella was totally intoxicated and drugged. The law did not take intoxication into account as a mitigating factor. “You left a group of others, went into Victoria Park, and without provo-

cation began to punch and kick the complainants.. You then walked towards an elderly man nearby and when Miss Bennett tried to intervene you knocked her to the ground and sat on her and punched her until she blacked out. “There was worse to come. You then approached Mr O’Brien and began punching him and knocked him to the ground.

“You then repeatedly punched and kicked him in the neck and chest until he passed out. You then ran off,” said the Judge. Mr Hales said that Kinsella was remorseful. The pain and anguish he had caused had made him seek help for his problems, and he was now undergoing a programme to help with his addiction to alcohol and drugs.