When Tyler Daisley (47) entered The Bog in George St on December 6, he was immediately asked to leave when he could not provide a vaccine pass, the Dunedin District Court heard last week.
Patrons who were there for the quiz night were subjected to the defendant’s "agitated and confrontational" behaviour as he yelled at them and refused to leave.
Daisley made his way towards the toilet, the duty manager in pursuit.
Before entering, the defendant turned around, exposed himself and asked the manager whether he should urinate on him.
He eventually entered the toilets, but relieving himself ultimately provided little relief for the bar staff.
After issuing a racist comment towards one patron, Daisley reached into his jacket pocket.
While he did not brandish the 20cm knife inside, he made it clear he had a weapon, a police summary said.
Once he had been ushered outside, staff closed the front doors to prevent him returning.
Daisley, who wore several large metal rings, responded by smashing windows.
"He stuck his face in the smashed window and yelled abuse at the duty manager and patrons inside the bar," court documents said.
The arrival of police only saw an increase in the violence.
Before the sergeant, working alone, could leave his vehicle, Daisley stood against his car door yelling that he would kill him.
He then tried to open the driver’s door as the officer withdrew a Taser. However, he was unable to use it in such close confines.
When he did exit the vehicle "a physical altercation was immediate", the pair trading punches before members of the public wrestled the defendant to the ground.
The sergeant suffered nerve damage to his hand and Judge David Robinson said it was unlikely to become fully functional again.
Reports provided to the court revealed Daisley’s problems stemmed back to a "traumatic childhood" which had resulted in him using alcohol and drugs as a crutch.
Although the December offending took place while he was subject to a previous sentence, the judge said his criminality seemed to be tapering.
Daisley was convicted of threatening to kill, possessing a weapon, aggravated assault and wilful damage and jailed for 20 months.
Because of the time he had already spent behind bars, his release would be imminent, the court heard.
