By Belinda Feek, Open Justice reporter of 
Hikurangi Harrison was found sitting in his car with this 30cm knife shoved into the air vent. Photo: Open Justice / NZME
A man left seriously injured in a crash years earlier deliberately drove into two motorists before months later being found with a .22 firearm and a 30cm knife crudely shoved into his vehicle's air vent.
Police were executing a search warrant at a Nawton property in Hamilton relating to the Smallbore Rifle Club burglary when they found Hikurangi Lamont Harrison, 28, sitting in his car in the driveway.
The large black-handled hunting knife, with a 20cm blade, could be seen protruding from the driver's side air vent.
When questioned by police about the weapons, Harrison told police he didn't "know what a firearm is".
It came several months after he'd purposely driven his car into vehicles, one of which had two small children inside, as he drove around the streets of Ngaruawahia.
No one was injured.
Harrison, who had been involved in a serious car crash years earlier that left him with a head injury and reliant on a walking stick, appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Friday for sentencing on multiple charges from two separate incidents.
The first was on the afternoon of June 29, 2023, when a victim saw Harrison involved in a minor collision at the intersection of Ellery and Herschel Sts.
The motorist followed him to get his details but Harrison did a U-turn and drove straight towards him. He hit the right-wheel guard of the trailer the motorist was towing, causing a small dent.
Harrison drove off, with a "significantly damaged" right front tyre, at 80-90km/h in a 50km/h zone.
He then entered a roundabout the wrong way and crashed into another vehicle being driven by a father with his 3-year-old and 7-month-old as passengers.
Harrison's car scraped the rear panel but no one was injured.
He drove off without checking on the occupants and was eventually stopped by the first victim who blocked him in on Te Wiata Lane.
Judge Glen Marshall warned Harrison, who was supported in court by whānau, that if he reoffended, "things could get more difficult" for him.
After taking a 23-month jail starting point, the judge allowed 20% discount for the defendant's guilty pleas and a further 10% for the "considerable difficulties" he continues to suffer, including his head injury, from his previous crash.
Judge Marshall got down to 16 months' jail before converting it to six months' home detention.
The judge also ordered the destruction of the firearm and disqualified Harrison from driving for 12 months.
Harrison was also ordered to pay back the second victim's $500 insurance excess at $10 a week.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
