Judge Robinson outlined the facts of the case: On August 24, Buskin, intoxicated at the time, approached the victim and his associates, antagonised them, and was ejected by security.
He then reached over a railing to grab the victim’s last jug of beer, prompting a physical altercation in which he struck the victim with the jug, rendering him unconscious.
The victim then climbed on to the bar roof to evade security before sustaining further injuries.
Buskin’s lawyer, John Westgate, told the court his client had struggled for a year to secure a suitable address for home detention, but one had now been arranged in Dunedin.
He emphasised Buskin’s lack of violent history, compliance with bail, steady employment, and willingness to pay $1500 in emotional harm compensation.
The victim, a 23-year-old construction worker who travelled from Blenheim to read a victim impact statement, described the physical, psychological, and financial toll of the assault.
He said he had “lost approximately $4000 in wages” since the incident, attended numerous medical appointments, and continues to suffer ongoing nerve and hearing issues.
He said the incident had long-term effects on his life: “My whole lifestyle has been defined by this incident for the past seven months.
“I have found it hard to adapt to my new life … it has been extremely exhausting.
“I hope there is responsibility taken by the perpetrator of his actions leading up to the assault as well as the assault itself, and that justice is appropriate.”
Judge Robinson acknowledged the victim had travelled long distances to attend court and noted the sentencing starting point was 12–14 months’ imprisonment before deductions for Buskin’s youth, guilty plea, and good character.
He said the incident’s consequences were “far beyond anything we would ordinarily associate with the circumstances of this case”, and there were ongoing impacts on the victim’s life.
Taking into account Buskin’s early guilty plea, youth, remorse, lack of violent history, and supportive family, the judge set a starting point of 13 months’ imprisonment, reduced to nine months after mitigating factors.
He granted leave for home detention if a suitable address could be arranged within 60 days, which would reduce the sentence to 4.5 months home detention plus 200 hours of community work.
Buskin was also ordered to pay $3000 in emotional harm reparation: $1500 by December 19, 2025, and the remainder by February 20, 2026.
Ben Tomsett is a multimedia journalist based in Dunedin. He joined the Herald in 2023.
