On December 19 last year, Ethan Geoffrey Finch (21) was on the hunt for an associate of his, demanding to know their location, the Dunedin District Court heard this week.
Finch waited for the person for two hours in a car park, with his 2-year-old son.
When he spotted his target, Finch attempted to confront the driver. A chase ensued, with Finch ramming his vehicle so hard into the other car that it caused the radio unit to pop out, the bumper to fall off and both passengers to be shifted from their seat.
Pulling alongside his victims, Finch yelled at the driver.
The man slammed into the fleeing vehicle twice more, causing the vehicles to become briefly entangled by a tow-bar.
Pulling over to appease the man, one of the two victims left their vehicle.
Finch instructed the other victim to drive home but instead they headed for the nearest police station, crossing paths with a patrol car before arriving.
A heated argument ensued and Finch was subsequently arrested.
Judge Emma Smith described the man’s actions as "extraordinarily dangerous" and said the fact his child was in the car was an aggravating feature.
Counsel Andrew Belcher said the assault was at "the lower end of the scale" as he "was not driving into pedestrians".
Finch was convicted of dangerous driving and two charges of assault with a blunt instrument.
Judge Smith sentenced Finch to four months’ home detention and disqualified him from driving for seven months.
He was ordered to cover the $2100 of damage to the other vehicle.
"You simply lost your temper in a very dangerous, controlling way," Judge Smith said.
