A Kainga Ora tenant has been evicted after the Tenancy Tribunal found she assaulted an elderly neighbour and directed racist abuse at her caregivers during a confrontation in Palmerston North.

In its decision on January 22, 2026, the tribunal ruled in the favour of Kainga Ora to evict Jessica Jade Allan-Jones. The attack took place on December 8 last year and involved a neighbour identified as 'B', a woman with significant care needs.

One caregiver told the tribunal they were subjected to racial abuse, including "you f***ing Indian, why are you here? Go back to your country." According to written statements from her two caregivers, the confrontation escalated when the neighbours came outside and began shouting.

The caregiver said they immediately called police and remained on the line while attempting to guide B back to safety. They further alleged a dog was released toward them "as if they wanted the dog to bite us", forcing them to prioritise their own safety.

The tribunal’s decision records the racist remarks were made during the same sequence of events in which B was physically assaulted. Video evidence showed B sitting on the ground in the tenant’s driveway while an unleashed dog barked in her face.

The tribunal found that Allan-Jones pushed B seven times with her foot, each time causing B to lurch forward. During the incident, the tenant was heard yelling profanities and appeared to be laughing.

Under section 55(1)(c) of the Residential Tenancies Act 1986, the tribunal must terminate a tenancy if satisfied that a tenant has assaulted a neighbour. The tribunal found the repeated pushing met the legal definition of assault under the Crimes Act.

It made no finding that the tenant was responsible for any dog bite, accepting evidence that the dog did not belong to her and that the video did not show her urging it to attack.

In her evidence, Allan-Jones admitted pushing B but described her actions as impulsive, saying she had lost her temper after repeated intrusions onto her property.  She said she feared for her safety and that of her young child after B kept turning at her doorstep over weeks.

The tribunal acknowledged that B’s behaviour may have been provocative but stated this was “a reason, but not an excuse” for physical violence. The adjudicator found the video did not support the claim that the tenant acted out of fear.

Instead, the decision noted her demeanour appeared “untroubled” and that she laughed during the assault. The tribunal also observed that no remorse was expressed during a meeting with Kainga Ora or at the hearing.

This weighed heavily against exercising discretion to allow the tenancy to continue. The decision emphasised that assault is among the most serious breaches under the Residential Tenancies Act and “cannot be tolerated in a tenancy relationship”.

As an aggravating factor, the tribunal noted that the victim was “clearly a vulnerable person deserving of compassion rather than violence". The tenancy was formally terminated.