A 46-year-old Tongan pastor in New Zealand was ordered by a Christchurch court to pay a total of $1018 in reparations to a Christchurch man for a road rage incident that occurred in January this year.

According to local reports, the Assemblies of God pastor Sione Toutaiolepo smashed the side window of a truck, which he believed had cut him off earlier on the road. The driver of the truck than stood in front of Sione’s vehicle in an attempt to block him from driving away. Sione slowly drove towards the driver causing him to fall down, and then successfully drove away.

Some of the incident was film recorded by another driver. Sione later handed himself to police and pleaded guilty to two charges of assault with a weapon and wilful damage.

Sione was sentenced to 100 hours’ community work, an emotional harm payment of $500, and reparation for the window of $518. However, the court judge Paul Kellar accepted Sione’s remorse and stated that Sione had references that said he was an upstanding man and was closely involved in the Tongan community. Sione has no previous convictions in New Zealand.