Key Takeaways
- Sheldon Roma and two associates violently assaulted a 29-year-old autistic man in a mistaken vigilante attack in Hamilton, New Zealand.
- The victim has the mental and emotional maturity of a 4-6 year old and was left with physical and emotional injuries.
- Roma’s lawyer, Jesse Lang, pushed for name suppression due to safety concerns, but Judge Arthur Tompkins declined, citing the seriousness of the attack and lack of evidence of real risk to Roma and his family.
- Roma was sentenced to four months’ home detention and ordered to pay $1000 emotional harm reparation.
Introduction to the Case
The case of Sheldon Roma, who was involved in a violent assault on a 29-year-old autistic man in Hamilton, New Zealand, has sparked concerns about vigilante justice and the treatment of vulnerable individuals. Roma’s lawyer, Jesse Lang, pushed for his client’s name to be permanently suppressed, citing safety concerns and threats made on social media. However, Judge Arthur Tompkins declined, citing the seriousness of the attack and the lack of evidence of real risk to Roma and his family.
The Attack
The attack occurred on Sandwich Rd, St Andrews, outside the All Saints Community Church, when Roma and two other associates pulled up in a Nissan Skyline and approached the victim. The trio pursued the victim, who tried to run away, and violently pushed him to the ground. They then surrounded him and began kicking and punching him to the head and chest multiple times. A witness who knew the victim saw the assault and intervened, yelling at the trio to stop. The victim was hospitalised with physical injuries, including grazes to his elbows, knees, and top of his feet, a bloody nose, and a swollen jaw.
The Aftermath
Roma eventually handed himself in after police issued a press release and a photo of the trio at the scene. He declined to speak to police after getting advice from his lawyer. Lang initially filed an application for discharge without conviction on behalf of his client, but that wasn’t pursued. Instead, Lang urged Judge Tompkins to hand down a sentence of community detention and supervision along with emotional harm reparation. The police prosecutor pushed for a home detention sentence and emotional harm reparation of $1000.
The Sentence
Judge Tompkins noted that the victim had previously been living independently but was now back living with his family due to the attack. The victim has been left unable to leave the house and remains "extremely anxious" when he has to. Roma was sentenced to four months’ home detention and ordered to pay $1000 emotional harm reparation at $20 a week. The judge also noted that Roma had been involved in "at least" four domestic violence police callouts, which seemed contrary to letters that had been annexed to Lang’s submissions.
The Motivation Behind the Attack
Lang said that the attack was a case of mistaken vigilante justice, and that Roma and his associates believed the victim deserved a beating without any foundation. The judge noted that the attack was a serious beating in the street by three offenders against a very vulnerable victim. The case highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals and the need for the community to come together to prevent such attacks. The victim’s opposition to Roma’s name suppression, under new changes to the Victim Rights Act, also underscores the importance of considering the victim’s rights and interests in such cases.
Conclusion
The case of Sheldon Roma and the violent assault on a 29-year-old autistic man serves as a reminder of the importance of protecting vulnerable individuals and the need for the community to come together to prevent such attacks. The sentence handed down by Judge Tompkins reflects the seriousness of the attack and the need for Roma to take responsibility for his actions. The case also highlights the importance of considering the victim’s rights and interests, and the need for the community to support and protect vulnerable individuals.