Woolworths NZ says it’s unfortunate that staff too often found themselves in harm\u2019s way when they were \u201cjust doing their jobs\u201d. Photo \/ Tracy Neal<\/p>\n
Then, the day after he was arrested for the supermarket assault and placed in custody, he tried to strangle another prison inmate over a piece of bread.<\/p>\n
No warning <\/p>\n
The manager had been restocking shelves at Woolworth\u2019s<\/a> Trafalgar Park in central Nelson when, without warning, he was punched and beaten. <\/p>\n Riley had approached and asked if he was putting the items \u201cout\u201d.<\/p>\n The manager explained he was putting items on shelves.<\/p>\n With his back turned, Riley punched him in the head <\/a>with a closed fist, which knocked him to the ground.<\/p>\n Riley then kicked him twice in the head, splitting his eyebrow open.<\/p>\n Police said a staff member tried to intervene, and Riley stepped back, but then kicked a box out of the way and continued to kick the manager as he lay on the ground. <\/p>\n As the manager tried to get up, Riley struck him again in the head with a closed fist.<\/p>\n He was left with a deep cut and a swollen face. <\/p>\n Woolworths NZ head of health, safety and wellbeing, Denva Wren, said the unprovoked attack was appalling.<\/p>\n \u201cThe increasing level of abuse our team members are facing daily is completely unacceptable and hugely upsetting. <\/p>\n \u201cWe take the safety of our team members very seriously, and they should be able to come to work and feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n Wren said it was unfortunate that staff too often found themselves in harm\u2019s way when they were \u201cjust doing their jobs\u201d.<\/p>\n The police <\/a>arrived and arrested Riley at the store\u2019s front entrance. He tried to run away, but was quickly caught. <\/p>\n Guilty pleas entered <\/p>\n Riley, who has just turned 26, has now pleaded guilty in the Nelson District Court<\/a> to several related charges, plus others that occurred around the same time.<\/p>\n He appeared in court via video link from prison, where he was being held on remand, and admitted charges in relation to the supermarket attack, including two charges of assault with intent to injure, injuring with intent to injure with reckless disregard, common assault and escaping police custody.<\/p>\n Riley moved to the Tasman region <\/a>in September last year and was staying with a person known to him when he attacked that person.<\/p>\n They were together at an address on the morning of September 15, with Riley having arrived the day before. <\/p>\n Police said Riley was \u201cacting erratically\u201d and began removing items from the bedroom. <\/p>\n The victim confronted him as he tried to remove a mattress, and without warning Riley punched her in the back with enough force to knock her off her feet.<\/p>\n He continued to \u201crampage around the house\u201d, throwing items outside and punching a wall and two doors, damaging both. <\/p>\n He was arrested and charged with assault on a person in a family relationship and wilful damage.<\/p>\n Riley then attacked the supermarket manager, and while he was in custody for that, he attacked another inmate as the pair ate dinner.<\/p>\n He has now also admitted charges of strangulation and assault with intent to injure, after the attack on the fellow prisoner on the evening of January 21 this year.<\/p>\n