Kitchen knives used in domestic threats, violence

►Pierre Coster: breach of protection order, burglary, threats, injuring.

A 39-year-old fisherman broke into his ex-partner’s home, beat her, kicked her, and threatened her with two kitchen knives.

Christchurch District Court Judge Stephen Erber said Pierre Coster had “a dreadful record of assaults and other violent behaviour” and remanded him in custody for a crown sentencing session on September 5.

Coster pleaded guilty to charges of breaching the woman’s protection order, burglary, threatening to kill her, and intentionally injuring her.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lisa Goodson said he had telephoned the woman one evening at 9pm but she had told him to stay away because he was drunk.

He turned up outside the house at 4am and was told to leave by a neighbour who had stayed there because of the woman’s fears.

Coster broke into the house anyway and found the woman hiding inside. He punched her until she fell, and then kicked her, and told her he was going to kill her.

He threatened her with two knives from the kitchen and stabbed one of them into the floor beside her.

She got away when he was distracted. She had bruising and swelling on her body and arms and a black eye.

Judge Erber asked for a pre-sentence report, and a victim impact report.