A stepfather who bashed his stepdaughter's rapist has been given community work by a judge who accepts he was provoked.

Wellington District Court judge Peter Butler said on Wednesday the man was frustrated and angry at what he saw as a lack of police action and seeing the man on the side of the road.

"You were also astounded that he was walking freely in the streets."

At the start of the sentencing the judge said he was going to put the man and his family out of their misery, telling them he was not sending him to prison, but neither was he going to discharge him without conviction.

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The judge said he was satisfied that the man was provoked by the actions of the rapist and it was the cause of the assault.

He sentenced the man to 240 hours' community work.

The man can not be identified to protect the identity of his stepdaughter.

Jason Haward was found guilty of the rape and sentenced to seven years and six months' jail. He had met the teenager by Paraparaumu shops and taken her to a secluded area near the beach. He raped her and then followed her as she fled home naked in April last year.

Her stepfather found her outside cowering between cars with Haward standing over her.

Two days later he saw Haward on the side of the road and said he intended to hold on to him until police could arrive. He ended up hitting Haward several times and headbutting him.

Haward suffered bruising, a brain injury and had seizures on the day.

The stepfather was charged with injuring Haward with intent to injure him, and was found guilty by a jury.

Afterwards, he said he had no regrets about his actions that day and he did what he presumed any father would have done.

Defence lawyer Peter Foster handed the judge a number of references in support of the man.

He asked the judge to consider a discharge without conviction as any conviction would make employment difficult.

Foster said the man's actions was borne out of frustration as what he saw as police inaction, and primarily out of love.

"He's a man acting spontaneously acting out of love for his stepdaughter.

"He is not sorry for what he has done, but he is not saying he would do it again."

Foster asked the judge that if he jailed the man to defer it on humanitarian grounds. The man intended to appeal his conviction.

Crown lawyer Adele Garrick said the man admitted himself he lost it and was seeking retribution to make the victim pay.

She said a discharge without conviction would be wholly inadequate.

Outside court the man said he regretted the way it had all turned out and was relieved at the mild sentence but still intended to appeal his conviction.

He said it had been a nightmare for his family, especially his stepdaughter,

"But at least she knows I am coming home."

It took six weeks for Haward to be charged and in the time they saw him walking near the house which affected his stepdaughter.

He felt shocked by the actions of police, who upgraded the charge from disorderly behaviour to injuring with intent to injure.

He said he thought the judge's comments were fair.