New Plymouth, New Zealand – While most of us read stories involving violent borrowers attacking repossession agents thinking this only an American thing, from time to time, we get a glimpse of what it is like in other parts of the world. Today, we bring to you a story from the usually peaceful and polite world of New Zealand, that sounds as if it could have happened anywhere here in the good old USA.
A repossession agent attempting to seize a car in Taranaki was twice punched in the face then chased down by the vehicle’s brick-wielding owner, a court heard.
But the August 2018 attack didn’t end there, with the repo man fleeing to his own car, only for Joshua Zane Russell to run after him and try to smash the door handle with the brick.
When that failed Russell got into his own car and reversed it into the agent’s a total of three times, leaving the man with a number of injuries and a concussion.
Minutes earlier, the agent had arrived at Russell’s home in Bell Block, north of New Plymouth.
It was about 5pm and he was there to repossess Russell’s Nissan Skyline.
But, according to a police summary of facts, the 33-year-old car owner took exception to this and delivered two upper-cuts to the agent’s face.
The agent returned to his own vehicle, which was half parked on the road and half in Russell’s driveway.
From the driver’s seat he could see Russell running towards him carrying a brick.
Russell jumped on the bonnet (hood) and raised the brick above his head, as if he was going to throw it through the windscreen.
“He jumped off the bonnet and landed next to the victim’s door where he proceeded to use the brick like a hammer to smash the driver’s door handle,” the summary stated.
“Failing to gain access into the car, the defendant got into his Nissan Skyline that the victim was trying to repossess.
“The defendant reversed his vehicle into the victim’s vehicle with such force that the victim hit his head, causing him to become dazed.”
Russell drove forward about three to four metres then reversed into the car a second time.
Again, the agent hit his head, causing it to split open.
Russell got out and told the victim to move his vehicle. But when the agent’s car failed to start, Russell got back into his Nissan and rammed him a third time.
The victim then managed to start his car and quickly reversed on to the road.
Russell took off in his Nissan and disposed of it at an unknown address, the summary stated.
The agent suffered a sprained neck, a concussion, a swollen lip, and a cut to the head. Damage to his car included a broken grille and moderate damage to the front panels.
In New Plymouth District Court on Thursday, Russell pleaded guilty to one charge each of wilful damage, common assault, reckless driving, behaving threateningly and assault with a weapon.
Judge Lynne Harrison remanded him on bail to reappear for sentencing on May 8.
She ordered a pre-sentence report and referred the case to restorative justice.
Source: Stuff
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