Rotorua man convicted of attacking disputed cyclist on sidewalk, victim still in fear

A Rotorua man escaped a prison sentence after he attacked a cyclist for riding on what he thought was a trail near Kuirau Park.

William Wakaiti Jenner, 28, was sentenced to two months of community detention, 12 months of supervision and 75 hours of community service after he pushed a man off his bicycle and hit him during an argument on a shared road.

He was sentenced yesterday by Judge Tony Snell in Rotorua District Court.

Jenner had six prior assault convictions, but “just escaped a prison sentence” in part due to the fact that he was a practical parent, Judge Snell said at sentencing.

The judge said he needed to “stick his head in” as he risked losing his children if he performed again and ended up in jail.

The assault victim, a mechanic in his 50s, had been off work for months as a result of a thumb injury sustained in the attack and was still afraid to go to work.

At around 7:30 a.m. on March 16, Jenner was walking down Ranolf Street with her partner who was pushing their son in a stroller near Kuirau Park, according to the factual summary provided to the Rotorua Daily Post.

The victim gave ample space when she cycled past the couple in the shared pedestrian and bicycle lane.

Jenner’s partner began verbally abusing the victim for being on the trail, leading to an argument that it was a shared trail.

Jenner defended her partner and then aggressively approached the victim. The victim raised her arm to defend herself and accidentally collided with Jenner, she said.

He pushed the victim off his bicycle, causing the victim to dislocate his thumb when hitting the ground.

Jenner then began hitting the victim on the head multiple times with a clenched fist while he lay on the ground before shoving him onto the hood of a car and fleeing through Kuirau Park.

The victim suffered a dislocated thumb, a black eye, several scratches, a swollen face, and a sprained ankle.

Jenner told police that the victim had assaulted him first.

He and the victim did not know each other.