The Court of Appeal has overturned a two-year prison sentence for a man convicted of manslaughter, replacing it with 11 months’ home detention.

In April last year, 29-year old Jayden Ray Kahi was convicted of manslaughter after a single punch led to the death of 60-year-old grandfather Mewa Singh, in Christchurch’s Linwood Park.

The incident began when Kahi briefly left his seven-year-old son in the park.

Upon returning, he saw an unknown man holding his son’s hand. Kahi, mistakenly believing the man posed a threat to his child, confronted him and later punched him, resulting in fatal injuries after the victim hit his head on the pavement.

Kahi’s legal team argued that the High Court’s original sentence of two years’ imprisonment was excessive.

They said Kahi’s actions were significantly impacted by his declining mental health and a history of trauma, conditions that were not sufficiently accounted for in the sentencing.

During the appeal hearing, Kahi’s counsel highlighted that he suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which exacerbated his anxiety and paranoia, leading to delusional thinking that misinterpreted the victim’s intentions.

Justice Cooke said the court did not accept that the initial prison sentence was manifestly excessive but ruled that the High Court had erred by concluding Kahi intended to cause serious harm, a factor not substantiated in the agreed summary of facts.

“The need to denounce Mr Kahi’s conduct and hold him accountable… needs to be balanced by the other principles of the Sentencing Act, including those relating to the circumstances of the offender. Given Mr Kahi’s mental state at the time of the offending, his culpability is reduced.”

The court set aside the original sentence, imposing 11 months of home detention instead.