Hot iron held to woman’s leg
An elderly man carried out what the judge called “a deliberate and cruel act” when he burned a woman’s leg with a hot iron.
The Christchurch District Court was told that 76-year-old Roderique John Arthur Mackenzie had pushed the iron’s steam button when he held it to the woman’s upper leg for five or six seconds.
“You caused a great deal of pain to the victim which endured for some time afterwards,” said Judge Tony Couch. “It was a deliberate and cruel act, and in the normal course the appropriate sentence would be imprisonment or home detention.”
He noted Mackenzie’s age, but said it “cut both ways” – he had the age and experience to understand the consequences of his actions.
Mackenzie had admitted the charge of assault with a weapon – a hot iron – and was appearing for sentence.
The court was told he had been immediately remorseful, apologised and assisted to treat the woman’s burn. He had separated from the woman and her children since the incident and there was now a protection order against him.
Judge Couch said the incident happened on May 31, when the woman was ironing. The iron had been set on the maximum temperature at the time, and the assault had led to pain, swelling, and blistering.
He noted that Mackenzie’s criminal history was “of considerable antiquity” but he had two convictions for assault on a woman in 2004.
He accepted the pre-sentence report recommendation and imposed 150 hours of community work, and nine months of supervision with special conditions. He warned that any breach of the existing protection order would be likely to bring a jail term.
Category: Focus
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