South Africa has a serious road rage problem.

We aren’t alone on that front, with Australia seeing its fair share of nastiness in recent times, but some of the violence here at home is atrocious.

A recent case in point from peak Cape Town traffic, to show just how unafraid some culprits are.

One place you don’t expect to feature in stories like these is New Zealand, with the country’s residents known for their affable nature and ability to get away with just about anything at the breakdown in a rugby match.

When you factor in that this violent showdown took place on the water, it’s all the more out of the ordinary, although the man at the centre of the incident does have a history.

58-year-old John Frederick Dixon is alleged to have become enraged on January 23 when two boats ignored the five-knot speed limit, causing a wave to rock Dixon’s yacht, which damaged his inflatable dinghy.

Dixon lives on the yacht with his partner in Tairua Wharf, on the east coast of North Island’s Coromandel Peninsula.

A warning that there is plenty of bad language, and you may want to stop at the 1:30 mark:

Here’s where things really take a turn.

John Frederick Dixon was actually jailed in 1979 for murdering a man, served eight years before being released on parole, and may have to return to prison.

Reporting via The NZ Herald:

Aged just 16 at the time of the killing, Dixon was then one of the country’s youngest murderers…

Dixon, now 58, attacked Joseph “Little Joe” Hishon in the early hours of August 25, 1978, at the Ruakura Agricultural Centre in Hamilton…

Dixon told a court he had gone to the agricultural centre after visiting a nightclub because he wanted money for rent and cigarettes.

When Hishon refused to loan Dixon money, the intoxicated teenager became angry and attacked him.

At the time, experts said he had “more than a fiery temper”, suffered from a personality disorder, and showed “a tendency to over-react to threats, teasing or any excitement”.

Whilst a number of Tairua residents called him “affable” and “smiley”, and a relative said he is “the loveliest man”, it’s clear that anger is still very much present.

A police spokesman said investigations are ongoing, and if Dixon is found to have breached his parole release conditions, or pose an undue risk to the community, further action could be taken.

[source:nzherald]