A police Taser had no effect on Keanu Turner-Mills when he reached for a beer bottle and threw it at a female officer, injuring her while appearing to laugh.
Turner-Mills had been cornered by police after brandishing a knife and refusing to drop it.
The officer, in a victim impact statement to the court, said she was left struggling to walk without pain and had to put off family gatherings.
She said she was disappointed and angry because her job involved dealing with people experiencing difficulties and she believed Turner-Mills wanted to cause her physical harm.
“You appeared to be laughing,” Judge Mark Callaghan told Turner-Mills at his sentencing in the Christchurch District Court this week.
Turner-Mills, 23, appeared on charges of assaulting police, resisting police, possession of a knife, wilful damage, contravening a protection order and failing to carry out obligations in relation to a computer search.
According to the summary of facts, police were called to a Christchurch address in January after Turner-Mills had arrived unannounced the previous night.
He refused to leave after being asked multiple times and eventually left the following morning, only to return that afternoon.
He was again told to leave but refused.
Over the next few hours, he sent the householder abusive text messages before police arrived.
Turner-Mills got out of his car as police told him he was under arrest.
He retreated towards the rear passenger door and refused to comply with their instructions.
Turner-Mills stood behind the open door, brandishing a small folding knife, and yelled at police to “come at me then”.
He stepped out from behind the door but refused to comply with instructions to drop the knife.
Police discharged a Taser, which did not affect him.
Turner-Mills grabbed two beer bottles from his car and threw one at the front door of the house, smashing a glass panel.
He threw the second bottle at the police officer, striking her upper right thigh.
Police pepper-sprayed him and took him into custody.
Judge Callaghan said the defendant had a history of family harm issues dating back to 2021, including charges of possessing weapons and threatening to kill.
The judge said Turner-Mills had spent two and a half months in custody and six months on electronic bail after the incident.
Judge Callaghan sentenced Turner-Mills to 12 months’ intensive supervision and ordered him to complete a non-violence programme.