The jury has found a man guilty of injuring his step-daughter's convicted rapist Jason Haward in Paraparaumu last year.
They took 3.5 hours to reach their verdict at the Wellington District Court on Monday afternoon.
In summing up the case Judge Peter Butler asked jurors to be dispassionate and objective. He asked they put aside any feelings of anger, prejudice and sympathy and even if they felt the defendant was justified in his actions would that be enough to find him not guilty.
The defendant has been remanded on bail, and will be sentenced in June but the Judge indicated he was unlikely to be sent to prison.
He had his head in his hands as the verdict was read out.
The case stems from an incident on Kapiti Road, north of Wellington in April last year.
The defendant, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his step daughter, saw Jason Haward from his car.
He got out of the car and says his intention was to restrain Haward until police arrived to arrest him, because the defendant and his partner had new evidence against Haward for the rape of their 15-year-old daughter.
Haward was convicted of the rape and is currently serving a seven-and-a half year sentence in prison.
Haward's injuries were a black eye, a loose tooth, a minor brain injury which caused siezures, and a lump on the back of his head.
Defence lawyer Peter Foster argued those injuries could have been caused by a fight between the two men two days earlier at the defendant's home.
The defendant had seen Haward in his driveway standing over his naked step-daughter, and the step-daugher said she had been raped.
The defendant and his partner both struck Haward.
The defendant's partner admitted to pushing Haward onto the road and kicking his head. No assault charges were laid.
Haward couldn't remember the fight on Kapiti Rd, but said he did not believe his injuries were caused by the fight two days before.
The Crown had to prove that the defendant did cause the injuries to Haward from the incident he's on trial for and that his intention was to cause injury.
The defendant said only one or two punches connected and he wouldn't accept what he did was wrong for one split second.
Newshub.
