Man in viral boat rage video is a convicted murderer

A man caught on camera ramming his dinghy into other sailors in a furious ‘boat rage’ incident has a very dark past, it’s now been revealed.

A man embroiled in a viral boat rage incident is a convicted murderer with “severe anger issues” and is on lifetime parole for the brutal crime.

John Frederick Dixon, 58, was caught on camera on January 23 firing up at a group of people in the Tairua Harbour marina in New Zealand.

It’s alleged the group drove their boats above the five-knot speed limit into the marina, causing a wave to rock Dixon’s yacht and damage his inflatable dingy.

John Frederick Dixon at the marina.

Dixon falling over after his boat hit Ms Browning’s.

In the video, Dixon can be seen slurring his words and yelling at a woman in her boat, calling her a “f***ing piece of sh*t” and accusing her of causing $1000 worth of damage to his yacht.

Despite the woman, later identified as Tairua School deputy principal Catherine Browning, reminding him there were children in her boat, Dixon drives his dingy away before circling back to crash into her boat.

Due to the impact, the inflatable dingy starts to sink, with Ms Browning jumping out of her boat and hitting Dixon with an oar.

“You rammed our boat and you spit at me, you piece of sh*t,” Ms Browning said.

Dixon lives in a $150,000 yacht in the marina with his partner.

John Frederick Dixon at the Tairua Harbour marina.

The New Zealand Heraldhas now revealed Dixon has spent the past three decades on parole after he was convicted of murdering another man at the age of 16.

Dixon was released from prison in 1987 after serving eight years for the murder of Joseph Hishon in 1978.

Dixon was found guilty of bashing Mr Hishon to death after he refused to loan him money.

Mr Hishon was found in a pool of blood and died from “extensive head injuries” and a broken skull.

Dixon admitted to punching and kicking Mr Hishon, crying to police after the crime and claiming he had only wanted to knock him out.

According to The New Zealand Herald, psychiatrists on the trial found Dixon had severe anger issues and a personality disorder and had been sent to a boys’ home at the age of 11 after his parents struggled to control him.

The trial heard Dixon had “marginally abnormal brain functions” and he had “a tendency to overreact to threats, teasing or any excitement”.

Dixon lives at the marina.

Corrections New Zealand, having seen the video, applied to the parole board last week to get Dixon taken back to prison due to a “risk to public safety”.

The parole board denied the request but has ordered Dixon to present to the board within the next two months to determine if he needs to be recalled to prison.

Ms Browning spoke to the New Zealand Herald over the weekend, commenting on her heartbreak after the video went viral.

“He came in at full speed attacking us, ramming us,” she said.

“He scared the sh*t out of me and I had to defend myself.”

Ms Browning is facing potential employment action after the video.

The deputy principal claimed the short video only captured a snippet of the incident, with Ms Browning alleging Dixon had targeted another boat.

“It’s made my life a nightmare,” she said.

Originally published as Man in viral boat rage video is a convicted murderer