A Queenstown man who threatened to kill his neighbour has been sentenced to community work and urged to address his alcohol and anger issues.
On February 4, Junior Atoni (32), hospital orderly, was having an argument with his sister on the driveway of his Goldfield Heights flat when the victim walked out on to the deck of her home.
Atoni, who police say was drunk on whisky, called out, "you what?:.
The victim replied, "I didn’t say anything, I’m just getting the dog in.:
The defendant then shouted obscene comments about the victim and her parents before walking up the steps of the victim’s house and telling her "I’m going to f...... kill you:.
The victim shut the door in the defendant’s face.
His sister then drove the defendant to central Queenstown, where he used the whisky bottle to smash the rear passenger windows of his rental vehicle.
Atoni later told police he had bent down to pick something up and "tripped: into the car, breaking the windows.
He appeared for sentencing in the Queenstown District Court yesterday on charges of threatening to kill and intentional damage of the rental vehicle.
Counsel Alice Milne said the defendant was shocked and "deeply ashamed: by his behaviour, having only recently moved to the resort town from Wellington for a fresh start.
He was no longer living next to the victim.
Judge John Brandts-Giesen told Atoni his behaviour was "disgraceful:, and he suspected he had a drinking problem.
"The abuse of alcohol is the root cause of most crime,: the judge said.
Atoni was convicted and sentenced to 50 hours’ community work and nine months’ supervision to enable intervention for alcohol and anger management issues.
He must pay the victim $300 for emotional harm, and pay the rental car company $300 reparation for the broken windows.
