A man who head-butted a man and gouged his eye over a $10 debt was sentenced in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.
The offending happened at a boarding house where the victim and Waghorn both lived.
Yesterday Judge Rollo said it was when Waghorn asked the victim to repay the $10 owed to him that Waghorn grabbed the man, pulled him through a window, head-butted him and gouged his right eye.
Although the injuries sustained by the victim were not serious they did require treatment in hospital, Judge Rollo said.
"It’s serious offending, given the eye gouging in particular."
Waghorn had denied the charge saying it was a case of mistaken identity at trial, however the judge believed identity had been proven as Waghorn was known to the victim as they lived at the same boarding house.
Crown prosecutor Mike Brownlie said yesterday if a sentence of home detention would mean Waghorn lost his job, then he would consider community detention as a better option for him.
Judge Rollo agreed, saying that Waghorn’s remaining in employment would benefit both him and the wider community.
He sentenced Waghorn to six months’ community detention and 200 hours’ community work and ordered him to pay emotional harm reparation of $1000.
