A Dunedin mechanic threatened to track down a customer and "smash his face in" after a repair deal went awry.
The police summary of facts said Hawker responded to a social media ad in February or March this year in which the victim advertised for a mechanic to fix his car.
The pair came to a verbal agreement about the work and the victim dropped off the vehicle to the defendant.
On August 4, Hawker messaged the victim to say the latter had to pay a $300 fee for storing the car at the defendant’s friend’s house.
The victim would also need to change the car’s registration into the defendant’s name in order to continue storing it at another location.
When the victim refused to do either, Hawker’s messages became increasingly "volatile" and he began calling the victim.
In one call, police were listening in when the defendant told the victim he would strip the car to its shell and leave it by the side of a road in a random location.
He would also "track him down and smash his face in", and threatened to drive his truck through the victim’s house.
The summary said the threats were repeated several times, leaving the victim "physically shaking during the call and unable to put words together".
The victim was scared the car would be used as bait and the defendant would "jump him" when he went to pick it up.
At yesterday’s hearing, Hawker told Judge Michael Turner he was angry at not being paid for the work.
Judge Turner said the threats had a significant psychological impact on the victim.
Hawker, who has an extensive criminal history including convictions for drug dealing, burglary and driving offences, was also sentenced for disqualified driving and aggravated failing to stop.
The charges stem from an incident on June 26, when police saw him speeding and veering in and out of his lane on the Allanton-Waihola Highway in fog.
The patrol car’s red and blue lights were activated, but the pursuit was abandoned when the defendant accelerated to more than 130kmh in an 80kmh zone in Allanton.
On all charges, Judge Turner sentenced Hawker to 100 hours’ community work and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.
