Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Prisoner gets more time behind bars after being found guilty of head-butting guard

Leighton Keith
By Leighton Keith
Open Justice multimedia journalist, Whanganui·NZ Herald·
2 May, 2022 05:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Joshua Carnegie has had an additional four months' jail added to his existing sentence of imprisonment after being found guilty of head-butting a female Corrections officer. Photo / 123RF
Joshua Carnegie has had an additional four months' jail added to his existing sentence of imprisonment after being found guilty of head-butting a female Corrections officer. Photo / 123RF

Joshua Carnegie has had an additional four months' jail added to his existing sentence of imprisonment after being found guilty of head-butting a female Corrections officer. Photo / 123RF

An agitated and abusive prison inmate who head-butted a female guard in an unprovoked attack has been sentenced to more time behind bars.

Joshua Reuben Carnegie was being escorted to the medical centre at Whanganui's Kaitoke Prison on September 18, 2020, when he twice attempted to head-butt Corrections officer Corina Palmer, a defended hearing in the Whanganui District Court in August 2021, before Judge Ian Carter, heard.

CCTV footage showed when Palmer opened a glass door Carnegie, without warning or provocation suddenly moved forward and tried to head-butt her but the camera angle didn't show if actual contact was made.

"Mr Carnegie then moved forward through the glass door and again head-butted Ms Palmer.

Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All Access Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Contact was clearly made with Ms Palmer's head on the second attempt and it appeared to be a very violent head-butt."

Carnegie attended the medical centre every day to receive Ritalin to treat his ADHD.

Giving evidence Carnegie said it had been raining on the day and he had requested an umbrella from Palmer.

"He suggested that Ms Palmer said no in a quite loud, aggressive and threatening way and that she put her hands on him, noting that he cannot stand people touching him."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Carnegie told the hearing he asked to go through the glass door and then 'I head-butted Corina'.

He later stated 'I'm not saying I'm not guilty' and 'There may have been a touching of the heads'.

When cross-examined and asked whether he could have head-butted Palmer, Carnegie responded: 'It could be possible, feasible, but there's no proof'.

Judge Carter said there was some conflict between the evidence given by two Corrections officers and Carnegie.

He also noted Carnegie conceded he had assaulted Palmer in some parts of his evidence but denied any head-butt took place.

After hearing all of the evidence Judge Carter reserved his decision in the case and released his findings on Monday. He found Carnegie guilty of assault.

"I found his evidence to be entirely unconvincing and reject it as unworthy of belief.

"Mr Carnegie virtually admitted the assault on several occasions during his evidence and at one point coyly suggested that there is no proof."

Read More

  • 'Savage' attack on four officers at Otago Corrections ...
  • Former Corrections worker charged with kidnapping, ...
  • Part of prison officer's ear bitten off during attack ...
  • Assaulted corrections officer awarded $50,000 - NZ ...

Judge Carter said in assessing the credibility and reliability of two Corrections officers he had been influenced in the way they were matter-of-fact and calm.

"Their evidence was not overstated or embellished and their evidence was corroborated by the CCTV and bodycam footage."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

As a result of the attack Palmer suffered an "egg" on her forehead, bruising and had a headache all day.

Judge Carter accepted the assault was an isolated incident but said any attack on prison staff required a stern response.

He sentenced Carnegie, who was already serving a lengthy sentence of imprisonment for unrelated offending, to an additional four months jail to be served concurrently.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui weather: Cold snap gives way to milder week

09 Jun 11:02 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

New zone to simplify Manawatū-Whanganui tsunami evacuation

09 Jun 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Strong second half powers Taihape to win

09 Jun 05:00 PM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Fertility firm admits to mistake after wrong embryo implanted
World

Fertility firm admits to mistake after wrong embryo implanted

10 Jun 02:19 AM
Opinion: Here are 4 ways to make yours feel warmer this winter
Opinion

Opinion: Here are 4 ways to make yours feel warmer this winter

10 Jun 02:04 AM
Blowouts and surprises: Magic outshine Stars in unpredictable season
Analysis

Blowouts and surprises: Magic outshine Stars in unpredictable season

10 Jun 02:00 AM
James O'Connor to leave Crusaders, join English club for 2026
Super Rugby

James O'Connor to leave Crusaders, join English club for 2026

10 Jun 02:00 AM
Rowena Duncum's Fieldays preview on The Country
The Country

Rowena Duncum's Fieldays preview on The Country

10 Jun 01:38 AM

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui weather: Cold snap gives way to milder week

Whanganui weather: Cold snap gives way to milder week

09 Jun 11:02 PM

Whanganui hill country had temperatures drop to -3C overnight on Monday.

New zone to simplify Manawatū-Whanganui tsunami evacuation

New zone to simplify Manawatū-Whanganui tsunami evacuation

09 Jun 06:00 PM
Strong second half powers Taihape to win

Strong second half powers Taihape to win

09 Jun 05:00 PM
'Really shook me': Council calls out abuse from public

'Really shook me': Council calls out abuse from public

09 Jun 05:00 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
Unlock all articles by subscribing to this international offer

All Access Weekly

Herald Premium, Viva Premium, The Listener & BusinessDesk
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
See all offers
Already a subscriber? Sign in here
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search