‘Best boss’ tiff ends in vicious group attack

Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A squabble over “who worked for the best boss” led to a vicious group attack outside an Invercargill pub, a court has heard.

Ngawai Henry Gordon West, 29, Teony Pennicott, 20 and Terry Jack Taurima, 22, were sentenced to home detention when they appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Thursday.

On 28 June, about 10pm, the three defendants were drinking at the Southland Tavern.

The two victims were outside the premises smoking. The defendants followed them out.

West approached one man and punched him in the face causing him to lose consciousness and fall to the ground.

Pennicott beat up the second man, punching him to the ground.

Taurima then punched him as he lay on the concrete.

Pennicott continued attacking the victim as he tried to get up repeatedly but was hit back to the ground by the defendant, who then stomped on the man’s head.

Taurima then struck the head of a victim before kicking him and walking away.

A third victim became aware of the fracas and came out of the tavern holding a pool cue in “a non-threatening manner”, the police summary of facts said.

He reached out to Pennicott for a handshake, but the man punched the victim in the jaw, knocking a tooth out.

The court heard the skirmish seemed to have broken out following “taunts about who worked for the best boss”.

“This has come out of nowhere, but it was a particularly nasty incident,” Judge Duncan Harvey said.

All three defendants had no criminal history.

“It’s puzzling also because none of you have been in trouble before,” the judge said.

“It was only by good luck that the injuries caused here were not either incredibly serious and of course did not result in death.

“This was a disgraceful incident,” Judge Harvey told them.

Pennicott was sentenced to 11 months’ home detention for injuring with intent to do grievous bodily harm and injuring with intent to injure.

He was ordered to pay $1500 emotional harm reparation, to be split between his two victims.

Taurima received a sentence of 10 months’ home detention after pleading guilty to injuring with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

After pleading guilty to injuring with intent to injure, West was sentenced to six months’ home detention and ordered to pay $1000 reparation.

* This story was first published by the Otago Daily Times.