A man who tried to set fire to a police station in a bid to impress a woman has been jailed for two years and three months.<\/p>\n
But during his sentencing, the judge offered some blunt advice on his approach to romance.<\/p>\n
“Any woman who’s impressed by you burning a police station isn’t worth impressing,” Judge Gene Tomlinson told the Kaikohe man.<\/p>\n
Zayne Gordon, 31, appeared in the Whang\u0101rei District Court for sentencing today on one charge each of attempted arson, strangulation and driving while disqualified.<\/p>\n
He was first charged with driving while disqualified in 2022 and put on bail.<\/p>\n
While on bail, he turned up unannounced at his ex-partner’s house on 8 December 2023, and she told him to leave.<\/p>\n
He became angry, followed her up the hallway and put his hands around her neck, lifting her off the ground.<\/p>\n
The victim’s legs were kicking and she was struggling to breathe before he dropped her to the ground.<\/p>\n
He was placed on bail again but missed two judge-alone trials for his driving charge and while on the run, strung out on meth, he chose to offend again.<\/p>\n
Around 3.15am on 12 December 2024, CCTV caught Gordon running up the ramp of the front entrance to the Kaikohe police station.<\/p>\n
He placed a Just Juice bottle that had tissue paper coming out of the top, essentially a Molotov cocktail, at the front door.<\/p>\n
After setting the tissue alight, Gordon exited the view of the security camera.<\/p>\n
When the tissue went out, Gordon returned and lit the bottle again.<\/p>\n
This time it caught fire and exploded across the doorway, causing black char and cosmetic damage to the front of the station.<\/p>\n
Throughout the incident, Gordon was recording on a phone and talking to someone off-camera.<\/p>\n
When arrested, he explained it was not a direct attack on police but that he was trying to impress a girl.<\/p>\n
His court file listed nearly 30 hearings, including two judge-alone trials where witnesses were called but he failed to appear, along with repeated bail breaches and multiple arrest warrants.<\/p>\n
Crown lawyer Danica Soich revealed Gordon’s meth use started when he was 15, after being introduced to the drug by his mother.<\/p>\n
Soich said his meth use contributed to his continual poor decisions.<\/p>\n
“Not only did this potentially risk the safety of the police officers but it would have prevented police from responding to anything else in the community,” Soich said.<\/p>\n
Gordon’s lawyer Martin Hislop argued for a sentence of rehabilitation at the Grace Foundation, but Soich submitted his addiction was too severe.<\/p>\n
Judge Tomlinson said Gordon’s actions were foolish and childish.<\/p>\n
“It’s the sort of stuff you expect from a couple of teenagers who would put double happy fireworks into a mailbox, it’s just idiotic.”<\/p>\n
He said a police station should not be targeted.<\/p>\n
“The scale of this is childish, and indeed, an unsophisticated attempt of arson. Essentially, you get the benefit of how hopeless you were at doing at.”<\/p>\n
The judge acknowledged the risk to life was momentary and jailed Gordon for two years and three months on all charges.<\/p>\n