Family of beaten firefighter moving forward

The man was sentenced in the Wellington District Court. Photo / File

The family of a volunteer firefighter who was savagely beaten say they feel like they can move forward now his attacker has been jailed.

In Wellington District Court this afternoon, Judge Bruce Davidson sentenced Milton Haira, 27, to six years and six months in prison, after he pleaded guilty to one charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm to Peter Fisher.

Mr Fisher was badly beaten in October 2012 after he went to a house on Broadway St in Martinborough, to help remove an unwanted male guest from a group of teenage girls.

Haira was next door, at the front of his property, and an altercation broke out between the two men.

Judge Davidson said although Haira did not throw the punch that put Mr Fisher on the ground, he "punched, kicked and stomped" him on his face while he was down.

As a result, Mr Fisher suffered brain damage and fractures to his eye sockets, nose, cheeks and mouth and was later told he had died twice and was resuscitated at the scene.

Mr Fisher was taken to Wellington Hospital where he was admitted to intensive care unit and kept in an induced coma for three days.

He later underwent facial reconstruction, which left him with titanium plates under both eyes and his top lip.

Mr Fisher spent weeks doing intensive physiotherapy for up to three hours every day, hoping to win back more movement and strength in his right arm and leg.

Speaking to NZME. News Service following today's sentencing, Mr Fisher's father, Brian Fisher said after two and a half long years, the family finally felt as though they had some closure.

He, along with Mr Fisher's mother Noeline, and younger brother Paul, read their victim statements aloud in court today.

"I think we are all agreed that we are fairly pleased with the way things went. It was what we expected," he said.

"We're all very exercised over the fact that this whole thing has taken two and a half years. It just went on and on and on. Two and a half years was crazy to wait for justice."

Today was a "celebration", he said, and the family could finally close this chapter and now move forward.

"It's been probably the biggest thing that our family has had to face, one of us just about dead."

Mr Fisher's family said they owed thanks to numerous people for their support since the attack, including ambulance, police, victim support, medical staff, the Acquired Brain Injury unit at Kenepuru Hospital, and Dr Swee Tan, the surgeon who had helped reconstruct Mr Fisher's face.

Today Judge Davidson said to say that Mr Fisher had been badly effected was an understatement.

"He has suffered physically, emotionally and financially both in the shorter and longer term.

"His rehabilitation continues to this day."