DJ done for shoving patron

A Queenstown DJ’s been ordered to complete 200 hours’ community work and pay just over $5000 reparation to a man he seriously injured at The World Bar in June.

Stuart Edwin Raeburn, 39, known locally as DJ Stubacca, was sentenced by Judge Bernadette Farnan in Queenstown’s court on Monday after
earlier admitting injuring the victim by unlawful act in circumstances where, if the victim had died, he would be guilty of manslaughter.

Raeburn was performing at the Church Street bar about 12.50am on June 12 when the victim got on the stage and touched his equipment, turning the music off momentarily.

According to the police summary of facts, an annoyed Raeburn pushed him against the wall, telling him to get off the stage.

He then pushed the victim away from the DJ booth.

That caused the man to fall off the 33 centimetre-high stage on to the floor, hitting his head on a stone hearth.

He was later flown to Christchurch Hospital in a critical condition, having suffered a fractured skull and brain bleeding.

It’s the first conviction for Raeburn, a British national who’s lived in New Zealand since 2006.

Meth main driver of offending

Former Queenstowner Shayna Marie Hallett’s compulsive thieving was driven by her addiction to meth, according to Farnan.

Hallett, 24, unemployed, was sentenced to nine months’ home detention in Queenstown’s court on Monday for a string of thefts and other
offending earlier this year.

A police summary of facts said between March and May, Hallett committed five acts of theft in Invercargill and Riverton, with her victims including Mitre 10 and Farmers stores and a New World supermarket.

In Queenstown, on July 3, she stole two avalanche transceivers, valued at $1698, from Small Planet Sports, and two days later, in Cromwell, stole various items from New World, a Paper Plus store and a clothing shop.

Hallett was also sentenced on charges of aggravated disqualified driving, in Cromwell’s Harvest Road, on July 2, and being unlawfully in a building, between July 7 and 16, also in Cromwell.

In the case of the latter, she found an unoccupied house in the town, from where she began selling stolen items on a social media trading site.

Counsel Megan Waller said the defendant had moved away from bad influences in Invercargill, and was now living in Hastings, where she had family support.

She wanted to become more involved in the raising of her baby son, who was now in the care of the defendant’s mother.

Farnan said the defendant’s meth use was the main driver of her offending.

Although the shoplifting could be partly attributed to financial hardship, she had become ‘‘addicted’’ to the activity.

In sentencing, she took account of the defendant’s guilty plea and the steps she had taken to address the underlying causes of her offending, settling on a term of 18 months’ prison.

That was converted to nine months’ home detention, with post-detention conditions for six months, to enable intervention for her drug and
alcohol issues.

Hallett’s also been ordered to pay $2170.12 reparation to her victims, and is banned from driving for 12 months.

Other convictions

● Joshua Thia Christensen, 22, building apprentice, of Shotover Country, drink-driving (992mcg), careless driving, Woodstock Rd, September 30, fined $500, reparation $7500, disqualified 28 days, alcohol interlock provisions.

● Shane George Prout, 50, courier, of Lake Hayes Estate, obtaining cash by deception, March 9, Queenstown; theft, March 21, Frankton; theft, June 8, Invercargill, four months’ community detention, six months’ supervision, reparation $1012.95.

● Jade John Fowler, 37, of Wānaka, assault, intentional damage, August 1, 60 hours’ community work, reparation $400, nine months’ supervision.

Discharged

● Gabriel Scott Higgs, 32, butcher, United States national, of Wānaka, careless driving causing injury, September 15, Wānaka, discharged without conviction, ordered to pay $300 to a charity, disqualified 12 months.

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