Home detention for beating, strangling
A 44-year-old man who beat his victim to the ground, continued the beating while the man was unconscious, and tried to strangle him, was granted a home detention sentence in the Christchurch District Court yesterday.
Rawiri Bruce Pouaka went to the home of his former partner on January 22 and met her new partner, who asked him to leave.
Pouaka grabbed the man and punched him in the face until he fell to the ground unconscious, then punched him about the head and body, and tried to strangle him.
His former partner tried to stop the beating but was pushed to the ground, knocking over a child, then dragged over the top of the girl, and down the road by her hair.
Defence counsel Phil Shamy said the offending occurred “in a moment of madness”, and Pouaka shouldn’t have stopped and gone to speak to the victim in the first place.
Judge Tony Couch said he was sentencing Pouaka on charges of intentionally injuring the man and assaulting the woman.
He said the victim received a fractured eye socket, lacerations to his head and face, and his false teeth were broken. He had to have two metal plates inserted in his face, is unable to work, and has continual pain and emotional trauma as a result of the beating. He has ongoing problems with the sight in his damaged eye.
The former partner had tufts of hair pulled out of her head, and bruising.
Judge Couch said the assault was prolonged, violent, and unprovoked, and when the victim was unconscious Pouaka continued the attack relentlessly.
It was still unclear whether the victim would have permanent injuries, he said.
Judge Couch had read references for Pouaka and said he was otherwise of good character, and remorseful. He had no previous convictions.
He sentenced him to 12 months’ home detention, and ordered an emotional harm payment to his victim of $4000.
Category: Focus
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