psychocheeseman
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Only in New Zealand...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4416619a23955.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4416619a23955.html
A Tauranga man who tried to run over his son has been given home detention in the house-bus he now shares with his son's former girlfriend.
Beneficiary James Bowring, 45, tried to mow down Jacob, 18, in November after his son called him a paedophile.
Bowring was driving in his car with his new girlfriend - 18-year-old Krystal Clark, who used to be Jacob's girlfriend but is now expecting Bowring's child - and a 14-year-old female friend.
Tauranga District Court was told that they saw Jacob standing on the opposite kerb. As father and son saw each other across the road, the son yelled out to his father that he was a paedophile and should be in a mental home.
Bowring did a U-turn and drove back at 50kmh, trying to run him over. Jacob had to hide behind a lamp-post to avoid being hit.
Bowring was convicted and sentenced yesterday on three charges of recklessly operating a motor vehicle, driving while disqualified and assault with a blunt instrument.
He was sentenced to five months' home detention in his house-bus parked on land in Te Puna. He was found guilty in a defended hearing in Tauranga last month.
Miss Clark was in court yesterday with a female friend to support Bowring. Jacob was also in the public gallery, sitting behind them. Bowring's lawyer, David Bates, said his client had lived a life of misery, which had led him to commit the offences.
In sentencing, Judge Peter Rollo agreed Bowring's life had not been easy, not helped by his suffering from a personality disorder, anxiety and depression.
But he said Bowring's actions amounted to extremely dangerous driving from which his son could have been severely injured or even killed.
The car had been used as a weapon to attempt to harm his son.
Bowring had four disqualified- driving convictions, he said.
He sentenced Bowring to five months' home detention, drug and alcohol counselling and 12 months' loss of licence.