Car, house windows smashed after crash

A man who smashed another person's car and then their house windows was sentenced on Tuesday.

Daniel James Taylor was one of three people in a car when they were crashed into in Palmerston North on January 20.

Judge Gerard Lynch said the three then followed the victim home before the other passenger instructed the driver to "ram" the victim's car. The Whanganui District Court heard the two then approached him with a tyre iron and bolt cutters.

The victim ran inside before Taylor and the other man smashed the man's car and its windows. The pair then smashed the victim's house windows.

Judge Lynch acknowledged while the fault of the crash was not with the driver of Taylor's car, the ensuing behaviour was "abysmal".

Taylor pleaded guilty to wilful damage and possessing an offensive weapon. Judge Lynch said: "I give Mr Taylor some credit for remorse. He understands by the guilty plea what he did was wrong."

Judge Lynch sentenced him to 125 hours of community work.

The driver of the car, Amy Makea, was also in court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to wilful damage. She was responsible for "ramming" the victim's car, however took no part in the following events.

Defence lawyer Anna Brosnahan said while Makea was the driver of the car she had "less involvement" than the other two.

Judge Lynch sentenced her to 75 hours community work.