Student Throws Pot Plants, Not Charged

Student Throws Pot Plants, Not Charged

Critic confused by “highly unusual“ behaviour

student from the University of Otago has escaped charges after drunkenly attacking a Dunedin resident in her home on Saturday 29 August. 

The attack, which lasted for several minutes, began after the intoxicated student followed her friend home. The student entered the victim’s house, believing it was that of her friend. 

Believing the victim was unlawfully in her friend’s flat, the student then started throwing various objects at the property, including the victim’s pot plants. 

The pot plants smashed the victim’s window, and the student then reached through the window, causing the victim to drop the phone she was using to call the police.

The student left the property shortly after the incident, and no arrest was made.

According to a police spokesperson, the victim “received minor cuts to her feet as a result of broken glass being scattered throughout the hallway of her house”.

The spokesperson said no charges were laid because the case didn’t meet the solicitor general’s prosecution guidelines.

Southern District Police Community Manager Nic Barkley said he “can’t say it’s a common thing” for no charges to be laid in an incident like this. “Every situation is different, and this one is completely different to any other situation … Every case is dealt with on its merits.”

The student has written a letter apologising to the victim after she declined the offer of a face-to-face apology.

The police spokesperson also said police “liaised with [the victim’s] insurance company to assist in the repayment of reparation”.

The university’s Code of Conduct states that “no student shall engage in actions that amount to assault or which result in, or can be reasonably expected to result in, harm to a person or persons”. 

However, the university cannot punish students for actions that are not connected to the university — simply being a student is not a sufficient connection for punishment to be handed out.

The university proctor said “there have been seven incidents that we term ‘assaults’ since the start of the academic year”, though three of these were student assaults on non-students, where the other party was security staff. All of these assaults took place in the campus area.

The proctor said violence is highly unusual in the student community.

This article first appeared in Issue 23, 2015.
Posted 10:46am Sunday 13th September 2015 by Joe Higham.