Man dragged tourist behind his car

The actions of a Nelson man who drove for 100 metres dragging a backpacker along the road has damaged New Zealand's reputation, a judge says.

"People who prey on tourists ... bring the country as a whole into disrepute," Judge David McKegg said.

Brent William Waho, 40, was sentenced in Nelson District Court after being found guilty by a jury of injuring with reckless disregard, and failing to stop and check for injuries.

Waho is serving a prison sentence for interfering with the jury first set down to hear his case.

Judge McKegg said that on January 13 last year Waho, helped by a nephew, befriended a tourist from Chile who was trying to find accommodation.

Waho offered to give the man a lift to another place to stay.

When they arrived, Waho told him to leave his pack in the car.

However, the man thought better of it and went to the back of the vehicle and tried to pull out his pack.

The boot lid of the car was up and Waho drove off, dragging the tourist behind the car.

The man yelled at Waho to stop but he continued and a member of the public witnessing what was happening also tooted to alert Waho.

The victim was dragged for 100m and only stopped being pulled when his bag came free.

The man suffered multiple cuts and bruises and was only saved from more serious injury as he had a smaller pack on his back.

Judge McKegg dismissed Waho's assertions made at trial that he was helping the man out of altruism, and that his vision was obscured and he was unaware the tourist was being dragged behind him.

Waho had an appalling criminal history and, although he had left a criminal gang, he was still committing dishonesty offences.

He sentenced Waho to 18 months in jail and remitted his $5000 in fines, saying the prospect of Waho paying them was "bleak" and the cost of recovering them would outweigh the benefits.

- © Fairfax NZ News