A Hawke's Bay teenager has been found guilty of intending to cause grievous bodily harm when he set his mate on fire at a party last year.
Matt-Dillon Shannon has been on trial at the High Court in Napier on a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent after he and some friends set Hayden Calder alight at Shannon's 17th birthday party in Hastings on August 23 last year.
A jury found Shannon guilty of the charge on Wednesday afternoon, media are reporting.
Mr Calder, who was 16 at the time, told police Shannon and some friends grabbed him, held him down, poured petrol over him and set him alight with a lighter.
Prosecutor Russell Collins earlier described the case as "a most serious case of bullying".
But Shannon said in a police video interview that they set Mr Calder alight after people at the party talked first about drinking petrol and then about people being set alight in a Jackass movie.
Shannon admitted a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard but denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
He will be sentenced on both charges on October 15.
NZN