A former Youth Justice worker punched a teenager up to 15 times then told police he was the victim, a court has heard.
Allen McKenzie Haua, 35, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this morning where he admitted charges of assault with intent to injure and making a false statement.
The court previously heard Haua was employed at Te Kaika but had since lost his job over the incident.
Te Kaika, a multi-million-dollar health and social-service provider, is currently being investigated by the Department of Internal Affairs, an Otago Daily Times investigation revealed this month.
Haua was walking to work in Abbotsford on the morning of October 26 when the 16-year-old victim passed him on a moped, then doubled back.
The pair had known each other through the teen’s previous placement in the youth residence where the defendant worked.
Court documents said the victim made both a racial and sexual slur to Haua before lifting the visor of his helmet, revealing his identity.
The defendant gave chase as the youth turned to ride away, grabbing his hoodie and pulling him off the vehicle.
The court heard Haua then straddled the victim and punched him 10-15 times in the head and body.
“The defendant got off the victim and stomped on him with significant force,” a police summary said.
Next, Haua called police and gave a signed statement claiming he was the one who had been attacked.
When officers accessed CCTV from nearby, however, the true circumstances became clear.
Haua later told police he had “panicked” and was unsure why he had lied in his statement.
The victim suffered grazes to his legs and head, as well as a swollen elbow.
At the defendant’s request, Judge Steve Bonnar did not enter convictions.
A discharge without conviction would be pursued at sentencing in April, the court heard.
Haua, who has no previous convictions, was remanded on continued bail.
A spokeswoman for Te Kaika confirmed Haua was no longer employed by the organisation.
“We will not be making any comment with regard to a case before the courts,” she said.