Cameron Nicholas Couch, 25, appeared in the Dunedin District Court last week after earlier pleading guilty to charges of speaking threateningly, assault, resisting police, breaching an alcohol-interlock licence and failing to appear in court.
The court heard that about 12.20am on January 1, Couch was outside Carousel Lounge Bar and began verbally abusing the bouncer at the door.
Couch challenged the man to a fight and the pair began wrestling.
The defendant kicked the bouncer twice in the side of the head while on the ground.
Police saw the tussle and arrested Couch before walking him to the station.
On the way, Couch was verbally abusive to the officers and at times refused to walk or thrashed around.
While in custody, he punched and kicked the cell windows and walls.
He threatened to kill police officers on multiple occasions including a specific threat: "I’m coming down to the police station at 12pm with a shotgun to blow you c...s up just like Tarrant".
The threat was a reference to terrorist Brenton Tarrant, who murdered 51 Muslims, and attempted to kill 40 others, at two Christchurch mosques on March 15, 2019.
The court heard Couch had 14 previous convictions including resisting police and five violent crimes.
In 2021, the defendant was sentenced to home detention in the Dunedin District Court for bottling a man, leaving him concussed.
And last year he was jailed after kicking a police officer in the head three times, claiming he was a "professional competitive fighter".
Judge Dominic Flatley said there was "a bit of a pattern emerging".
"You’ve got quite a firm footprint now for this type of offending," the judge said.
"You need to develop some insight and you need to do something about it."
While a report from Probation recommended a sentence of imprisonment, Judge Flatley thought that response was too harsh.
He said Couch needed to engage in counselling to address his alcohol use and other risk factors.
"You’ve got a lot of life ahead of you and you need to enjoy your life without the risk of going to prison," Judge Flatley said.
He sentenced Couch to five months’ community detention and 12 months’ intensive supervision.
Couch was also disqualified from driving for six months.
