By Shannon Pitman, Open Justice reporter of 
Zayne Gordon attempted to set the Kaikohe Police station on fire with a Molotov cocktail. Photo: Open Justice / NZME
A man who tried to set fire to a police station in a bid to impress a woman has been jailed for two years and three months.
But during his sentencing, the judge offered some blunt advice on his approach to romance.
"Any woman who's impressed by you burning a police station isn't worth impressing," Judge Gene Tomlinson told the Kaikohe man.
Zayne Gordon, 31, appeared in the Whangārei District Court for sentencing today on one charge each of attempted arson, strangulation and driving while disqualified.
He was first charged with driving while disqualified in 2022 and put on bail.
While on bail, he turned up unannounced at his ex-partner's house on 8 December 2023, and she told him to leave.
He became angry, followed her up the hallway and put his hands around her neck, lifting her off the ground.
The victim's legs were kicking and she was struggling to breathe before he dropped her to the ground.
He was placed on bail again but missed two judge-alone trials for his driving charge and while on the run, strung out on meth, he chose to offend again.
Around 3.15am on 12 December 2024, CCTV caught Gordon running up the ramp of the front entrance to the Kaikohe police station.
He placed a Just Juice bottle that had tissue paper coming out of the top, essentially a Molotov cocktail, at the front door.
After setting the tissue alight, Gordon exited the view of the security camera.
When the tissue went out, Gordon returned and lit the bottle again.
This time it caught fire and exploded across the doorway, causing black char and cosmetic damage to the front of the station.
Throughout the incident, Gordon was recording on a phone and talking to someone off-camera.
When arrested, he explained it was not a direct attack on police but that he was trying to impress a girl.
His court file listed nearly 30 hearings, including two judge-alone trials where witnesses were called but he failed to appear, along with repeated bail breaches and multiple arrest warrants.
Crown lawyer Danica Soich revealed Gordon's meth use started when he was 15, after being introduced to the drug by his mother.
Soich said his meth use contributed to his continual poor decisions.
"Not only did this potentially risk the safety of the police officers but it would have prevented police from responding to anything else in the community," Soich said.
Gordon's lawyer Martin Hislop argued for a sentence of rehabilitation at the Grace Foundation, but Soich submitted his addiction was too severe.
Judge Tomlinson said Gordon's actions were foolish and childish.
"It's the sort of stuff you expect from a couple of teenagers who would put double happy fireworks into a mailbox, it's just idiotic."
He said a police station should not be targeted.
"The scale of this is childish, and indeed, an unsophisticated attempt of arson. Essentially, you get the benefit of how hopeless you were at doing at."
The judge acknowledged the risk to life was momentary and jailed Gordon for two years and three months on all charges.
* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.
