\u201cPeople doing that service need to be protected.\u201d <\/p>\n
Carl Leu pictured when he appeared for sentencing in Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to two separate attacks on bus drivers. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n
The defendant was ordered to serve two years\u2019 imprisonment, although his lawyer noted that he is likely to be released soon when calculating the credit he will receive for time already spent in jail waiting for the cases to be resolved. <\/p>\n
Leu faced up to five years\u2019 imprisonment for the December 28, 2023, attack, which occurred immediately after he forced his way through the front door as the bus travelled along Jervois Rd in Ponsonby. <\/p>\n
Just under four months later, Leu was free on bail and again in Ponsonby when he attacked another driver<\/a>, resulting in a charge of male assaults female. <\/p>\n Accounts of what happened on that occasion have varied. <\/p>\n Police reported at the time that the attacker lashed out, punching and kicking the driver, after she asked him to exit the bus for not paying his fare. The then-39-year-old ran off but police caught up with him a short distance later. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is completely unacceptable,\u201d Inspector Dave Christoffersen said at the time, describing the incident as an appalling act of violence.<\/p>\n Police also reported initially that Leu spat on the driver and punched her hard enough in the chest to knock her back into her seat, but those details were omitted from the summary of facts that Leu agreed to. <\/p>\n The court was told during his sentencing hearing that it was Leu who demanded to get off the bus immediately after hearing voices and believing the police were watching him. He said he thought at the time that he was being trapped on the bus. <\/p>\n \u201cYou began kicking the door and screaming to get off,\u201d the judge said, noting that the driver complied \u201cbut you put your hand around and grabbed her by the neck … and you squeezed\u201d. <\/p>\n Leu was given bail again four days later. Six months after that, he was arrested again – this time for burglary and obstructing police after he used a concrete block to smash the glass door of a bar and gaming lounge. <\/p>\n The burglary alarm went off as he went inside the business, but that didn\u2019t deter him from grabbing bottles of alcohol from the kitchen and then sitting down at the front of the lounge to drink them. When police arrived, he threw one of the bottles at an officer but missed, smashing a glass window instead. <\/p>\n His final arrest was in March this year, after police found a small amount of methamphetamine in his pocket. <\/p>\n Defence lawyer Alex Slipper noted that it took some time to resolve the charges because his client needed to be assessed for mental health issues. <\/p>\n Although it\u2019s clear he does have such issues, Leu was deemed competent to stand trial, he noted. <\/p>\n Leu had no criminal history in New Zealand, but Slipper acknowledged his client\u2019s history overseas was extensive. He had moved to Australia at age 4 but was deported back to New Zealand in 2015 due to his criminal record, which included a stint in prison when he was 18 years old. <\/p>\n \u201cHe would like to express his remorse for his [current] offending,\u201d Slipper said. \u201cHe\u2019s been thinking very deeply about the harm he\u2019s caused to other people.\u201d<\/p>\n Judge Bonnar said he wasn\u2019t entirely sure the sentiment was genuine, given the defendant\u2019s remarks to a probation officer in an interview ahead of sentencing. <\/p>\n \u201cYou said you weren\u2019t sure if you were sorry about that [first bus driver attack],\u201d the judge noted, describing the comments as \u201ca little bit concerning\u201d and bordering on victim blaming. <\/p>\n But on the other hand, the judge noted, Leu did reflect that he shouldn\u2019t have punched the driver and \u201cwent a bit overboard\u201d. <\/p>\n A psychological report provided to the judge noted that Leu\u2019s mental health issues in recent years have been due to extended alcohol and drug use. <\/p>\n Judge Bonnar ordered a 22-month starting point for the first bus driver attack, adding six months for the subsequent attack and four months for the other charges that came later. <\/p>\n He then allowed eight months in combined discounts for Leu\u2019s guilty pleas and for his difficult childhood and mental health issues, resulting in the two-year sentence. <\/p>\n The judge urged Leu to work with probation to maximise his rehabilitation efforts upon release. <\/p>\n \u201cYou need to stay off the meth,\u201d he advised. \u201cBecause all your problems seem to come from the drugs.\u201d<\/p>\nJudge Stephen Bonnar sentenced Carl Leu. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray<\/p>\n
Carl Leu has been sent to prison. Photo \/ Annaleise Shortland<\/p>\n