Two people were hospitalised at the hands of Broman Hotter within a period of five days following early morning attacks in the New Plymouth city centre.
A Taranaki man who was found to be carrying nearly three times the daily pāua limit gave the fisheries officer the wrong address and later answered his door in disguise, a court has heard.
This caused the victim to fall to the ground and hit his head on the concrete. Wadsworth then ran away without checking for injury. A female witness provided urgent first aid with a tablecloth in an attempt to staunch the bleeding from the victim’s head.
ANDY JACKSON/Stuff
The man who threw punch, Jason Robert Wadsworth, appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Thursday. The man was rushed to hospital where he received 13 staples to his scalp to treat two large lacerations. When spoken to by police, Wadsworth admitted punching the man. The ball is an annual event hosted by the Taranaki Provincial Fire Brigade Association to acknowledge Taranaki emergency services personnel for their work and to fundraise for charities.
Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
The former officer appeared in the New Plymouth District Court today after completing police diversion.
The court heard the then 24-year-old was working at the New Plymouth watchhouse in December when the cash was handed in and they paid a reward to the person who brought it in.
The officer returned home with the money, but after discussing the situation with their grandparents had second thoughts, and confessed about the theft to a senior officer the following day.
Susan Hughes QC, who represented the former officer, said they were isolated at work and had unresolved psychological and emotional issues leading up to the offending.