Man jailed 8 years for sword attack, burglary

By Court Reporter
A "savage, brutal and unprovoked" attack on a Mount Maunganui homeowner who had part of his ear cut off with a samurai sword has earned Douglas Ward eight years in jail.
The victim, 48-year-old Chris Barclay, had confronted Ward in his driveway on October 4 after arriving home to find the Papamoa man and two female associates breaking into his house.
Ward, 26, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court yesterday, having previously pleaded guilty.
Judge Michael Crosbie gave him an eight-year jail term for aggravated wounding, four years for burglary and three for unlawfully taking a motor vehicle - all to be served concurrently.
A minimum non-parole period of four years was imposed.
The court was told that Mr Barclay, a businessman, now suffered extreme anxiety - despite having a burglar alarm installed - and he and his partner may have to move away.
As a result of the attack in Sunbrae Grove, Mr Barclay suffered brain bleeding, fractures to his skull, cuts to his face and a partially severed left ear. He spent several days in intensive care.
He has since suffered muscle problems, extreme fatigue and has had difficulty returning to a normal life, including running his business, which Crown prosecutor Rob Ronayne said had cost Mr Barclay an estimated $30,000 to $50,000 in lost profits.
The crime had started with Ward drinking and playing pokies at various places in Mt Maunganui.
There was "some texting, some cruising", then a decision was made to go to Mr Barclay's house because one of Ward's female associates was allegedly owed some money.
But what unfolded was a burglary, not a recovery of debt, the judge said.
Discovering no one at home, Ward and two women entered the house and loaded their station wagon with various items. Ward also placed four samurai swords into the front of the vehicle, just as Mr Barclay and his partner drove up behind the station wagon in the driveway.
Blocked from escaping, Ward backed into their 2000 Jaguar XJRS, yelling at them to move.
When Mr Barclay confronted him, Ward grabbed a sheathed 1.5m sword from the station wagon and struck Mr Barclay several times on the back of his head.
While he lay in a semi-conscious state, Ward stepped over him, got into the Jaguar and drove off, his associates following in their vehicle with the stolen property. Mr Barclay's partner, meanwhile, had run inside to find the house ransacked and called police.
"Even if your friend was owed some money, what justification was there for you to go to their place and rip them off? What justification to attack with a weapon?" Judge Crosbie asked Ward.
Defence lawyer David Bates said his client apologised, through him, to the victim and had expressed concern about his health on several occasions. "There is no written apology because he is not a particularly literate young man."
Ward, who spend most of his court appearance in the dock with his head bowed staring at the floor, was told by the judge his offending was "as serious as it gets short of a death".
"You struck him repeatedly ... the family has suffered extreme anxiety and are reluctant to leave their home, despite installing an alarm system, and they may have to move out of the area."
He said Mr Barclay's partner had had to take time off work to care for him and had seen her partner go from a healthy male to someone unwell and unable to function as well he once had.
"That in cold stock terms is the effect you've had on this poor man and his family," Judge Crosbie told Ward. "This is a savage, brutal and unprovoked attack and the community needs to be protected from you."
The offending would also have a major impact on Ward's family, he said. "I know your family is here today and I know this will be hard on them."
Ward has previously served 18 months in prison for another violent crime.
The two women facing charges of aggravated wounding, burglary and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle in relation to the attack are yet to enter pleas.
They are Teresa Florence Potae, 21, unemployed of Papamoa, and 21-year-old Hastings single mother Kahlone Boyd.