Bashed at a party: How one-punch attack student’s ‘life changed’

The victim was punched outside a student party. File photo / ODT

A one-punch assault outside a Dunedin party left a student’s future in jeopardy, a judge says. Japeth Jose Faolua-Lasi, 22, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after admitting a charge of assault.

He was sentenced to four months of community detention, and nine months of supervision and Judge David Robinson ordered him to pay the victim $5000.

The court heard the 21-year-old victim had been studying social work when the attack happened on October 3 last year.

He was rushed to the neurological ward in Christchurch and spent time in the rehabilitation unit in Wakari.

His mother’s victim impact statement, which was read in court, outlined the loss of independence her son had suffered since the incident.

He had been forced to return to the family home, had been unable to drive and was not capable of sitting his final exams.

The victim had “huge issues with fatigue”, his mother said and had to give up a job he loved for one that was less mentally demanding.

“I don’t think it’s an understatement to say his life changed completely as a result of the injury he received that night,” said the judge.

Both Faolua-Lasi and the victim were attending a party on the night in question.

There was an altercation and the defendant punched the man, sending him to the ground where his head hit the road.

Counsel Steve Turner accepted the violence was inappropriate but characterised it as a “pre-emptive strike”.

He cited statements from witnesses that cast some ambiguity over who was the aggressor, and one said Faolua-Lasi appeared initially to be trying to calm the victim.

Judge Robinson said the defendant was also convicted of assault with intent to injure last year and was midway through completing his community-work hours when the more recent assault took place.

Turner said his client had not completed that previous sentence because of his irregular work hours unloading fishing boats and the extensive financial commitments he had.

Faolua-Lasi was a victim of a serious assault in 2018, which kept him out of work for two years, and accepted he had issues with anger, he said.

Despite the pronounced impact, the victim said he held no malice against his attacker and did not want to “ruin his life”.

He hoped, in time, they could both move on.