Brodie Champion was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, for the manslaughter of Grant Jopson, in Dunedin on 20 October, 2023. Photo: RNZ / Tim Brown
A confrontation over a case of mistaken identity stemming from a road rage incident led to the killing of a Dunedin father.
Brodie Champion has today been sentenced to two years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Grant Jopson.
Champion fatally stabbed Jopson in the stomach last October when a confrontation about the road rage incident escalated.
Earlier in October, Champion was involved in a road rage incident near Mosgiel.
He mistakenly believed Jopson's son was behind the wheel of the other vehicle.
About 12.30pm on 15 October last year, Jopson's partner was walking their son's dog along Miller Road, Momona.
"While walking part the defendant's house she said hello to him and he asked her who owned the dog," a summary of facts said.
"During their conversation the defendant swore and yelled at her about the road rage incident he believed her son had been part of. The defendant told her to pass on a threatening message to her son about what would happen if a similar incident occurred in the future. She told him her son had not been involved.
"The incident ended with the defendant telling her to "f--- off". The victim's partner left and went home. She was upset as a result."
When Jopson learned of what occurred, he walked to Champion's home with his son to confront him.
Champion was cutting his hedge as he saw Jopson and his son approach and ran inside and grabbed a 20-centimetre long kitchen knife.
Jopson accused Champion of threatening his partner and the two became involved in a heated argument.
Two other people, including Jopson's brother, arrived at Champion's property.
Champion backed away towards a corner of the house and was followed by Jopson and his son.
Jopson picked up an aluminium broom and hit Champion with it, while Champion made swiping and stabbing motions with the knife.
Jopson's son picked up a terracotta pot and threw it at Champion. It hit him and broke.
Champion backed up further and ended up in a corner of the property.
Jopson - who no longer had the broom - and his son again walked towards him.
"The defendant had his back to the victim, who moved up to him and was yelling at the defendant," the summary said.
"The defendant turned and was swinging the knife around wildly. He lunged forward two or three times with the knife at the victim. One of the lunges got the victim in the stomach with the knife, who clutched his stomach and then left the section.
"The victim walked a short distance away where he collapsed on a grass area. He was saying "I can't breathe, I can't breathe, it hurts"."
Champion and others called 111 to request an ambulance.
Jopson died as a result of the stab wound.
In court today, Jopson's partner Brenda Gamble said many people had been left "sad, broken and traumatised" by Jopson's death.
"I feel heartbreak not only for myself, but also for [their son] Daniel, who had to watch his dad die," she said.
"He died protecting us.
"Grant was my partner for 33 years, my man, my friend. He was Daniel's dad and his mate. He shouldn't have died like this."
Justice Rachel Dunningham said it was difficult to weigh up sentencing Champion to prison over home detention, due to the difficult life he had lived growing up which included abuse.
"I accept there was a link between your PTSD and this offending," she said.
The judge also accepted there was an element of self-defence, but it did not mitigate what had occurred.
"In my view, it's appropriate you serve a sentence of imprisonment for the harm you have done," Justice Dunningham said.
Champion's mother called out that she loved him as he was led away to the cells.
In a statement, Jopson's family said he and his partner's future was "destroyed, when the day after his 52nd birthday, Grant was violently stabbed".
"The day Grant died we all lost a hardworking, loyal friend from our family and community. Grant was active every day of his life. He was always employed, always working on projects, and was always doing things for those around him, expecting absolutely nothing in return. Helping people seemed to just fuel him," his family said.
The court heard Champion had no history of violence.
Outside court, his mother, Robyn Champion, said her son was traumatised by what happened.
"Brodie is having flashbacks, he's broken," she said.
"He talks about how broken he is because he never had a real dad growing up and he took someone else's. He's so broken and so lost.
"It's horrible for both families. I feel for both families. I can't even imagine what they're going through ... [Brodie] is not this kid."