An argument over wanting to axe his 12-month wheelie bin contract proved the catalyst for a man who threaten to murder a staff member, before punching another in the neck and driving off through road works, where he hit a worker.

The 68-year-old Fulton Hogan staff member, who was part of a crew stationed on Dunlop Rd on January 11 this year, was left in a critical condition after Finn Alexander Higgins drove at him. He also narrowly missed one of the victim’s colleagues.

The series of events was revealed in court documents after Higgins today pleaded guilty to six charges in the High Court at Hamilton before Justice Neil Campbell.

However, the most serious charge – attempted murder – will be withdrawn by the Crown at his sentencing in November.

Higgins had a month earlier signed a 12-month contract with Wheelie Bin Services, in Waharoa, for a wheelie bin rubbish collection.

On January 10 this year, he returned to the company’s offices at Mowatt St and asked a staff member for a refund due to his financial constraints.

The victim said she couldn’t refund him as she didn’t have authority to approve it and asked him to return to the office the next day to speak with her supervisor.

Higgins went back the next day, with two of his children, at 11.50am to speak with the manager, but when he returned, the first victim said her boss had just left.

Hearing the news, Higgins immediately fired up and began screaming and shouting at the victim, telling her he was going to “murder her”.

Another employee signalled for help to one of the company’s truck drivers, who had just arrived on site.

Higgins went outside, walked up to him and punched him hard in his neck with a closed fist, causing him to fall on to a nearby car, then got back into his car with his children. He reversed into a parked truck then drove off at high speed, driving erratically.

Finn Alexander Higgins, 28, will be sentenced in November.

Meanwhile, Fulton Hogan road workers were working on Dunlop Rd, which comes off Mowatt St, at the time. The speed was reduced to 30km/h and a traffic light system was in place.

Higgins turned left into Dunlop Rd and drove straight through the red light at speed, knocking over road cones and swerving between machines as road workers were working. He then came to a stop outside the Waharoa cemetery and some road workers approached him to see if he was alright.

Some sort of altercation followed and Higgins was held down until he calmed down.

He then got back in his car and drove back down Dunlop Rd.

A 68-year-old road worker was working there at the time.

Figgins accelerated toward him, swerved at him intentionally, running him over causing serious injuries, and narrowly missed a second man.

He then drove away before being arrested a short time later.

The road worker was critically injured and suffered multiple broken bones, shattered pelvis, internal bleeding, and other unknown injuries.

Higgins today pleaded guilty to charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, failing to stop to assess injury at an accident, injuring with intent to injure, reckless driving, and two charges of threatening to kill.

His lawyer, Charles Bean, didn’t apply for bail so he was convicted by Justice Campbell and remanded in further custody.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20.