Seven months home detention for firing shotgun at a family of four

The Herald reports:

A road rager who pursued a young family for 10 minutes before shooting at the family’s car has had his jail sentence thrown out.

Dekota Chase Simpson will instead serve a sentence of home detention after a jail sentence imposed at Manukau District Court was quashed.

On May 10 last year, Simpson and his brother were driving along South Auckland’s Roscommon Rd in Wiri.

A newly-published High Court decision showed Simpson was driving and his brother was in the front passenger seat.

An adult couple were in another car with two children, aged 12 and 13.

“They pulled out of a service station and on to a connecting road when Mr Simpson’s car sped up close behind them.” Justice Ian Gault said in the new High Court judgment.

“Annoyed at Mr Simpson’s driving, the adult male victim showed his middle finger to them and yelled ‘f*** you’ as Mr Simpson pulled into a service station on Roscommon Rd,” the judge added.

In response, Simpson pointed his hands at the victims and made gun gestures. His brother got a shotgun from the back seat and assembled it.

The couple with children drove away and got on the Southwestern Motorway (SH20), heading north.

Simpson and his brother changed seats and Simpson retrieved a guitar bag with another shotgun and ammunition.

Justice Gault said Simpson and his brother caught up to the victims about 10 minutes later, yelling as Simpson waved around the shotgun.

“He then leaned out of the front passenger window of the car with the shotgun all the way out of the window and pointed it at the adult victims.”

He fired a shot, striking the front bumper of the victims’ car. …

He said 19 months’ imprisonment was manifestly excessive.

“A sentence of home detention also better reflects parity between Mr Simpson and his brother.”

The jail term was quashed and replaced with a sentence of seven months’ home detention.

19 months manifestly excessive for firing a shotgun unprovoked at a family of four, including two kids.

Seven months home detention is laughable.