A young man accused of pouring petrol on his friend before setting him alight at a birthday party last year says he did not intend to cause harm.
Matt Dillion Shannon, 18, is on trial at the Napier High Court for the incident, which he says was an idea from television stunt-show Jackass.
The teenager has pleased guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm with reckless disregard but has pleaded not guilty to another charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
The Crown says Shannon poured petrol over a 16-year-old friend at his 17th birthday party on August 12 last year as others held the teenager down – an act taken from Jackass movies.
Shannon admits the victim was held down, but tells the court it was only for five seconds, not 20 seconds as alleged, and he did not tell others to do so. The 18-year-old says he only poured a shot glass full of petrol on the victim, Fairfax Media reports.
“I thought he’d wake up, get a fright and roll about until the flame was extinguished and he’d be fine,” says Shannon.
The victim alleges Shannon encouraged other to pin him down, yelling “Get him”, and was laughing as he pulled a lighter from his pocket.
The victim says the fire, which blazed his t-shirt, back, neck and side of his face, was “the most excruciating thing you could imagine, times 10”.
The other three people involved in the incident, who allegedly held the victim down, have had their names suppressed by the court.
The trial continues.
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