May 21, 2010

Woman believed partner tried to break her neck

By David Clarkson

The victim of an Invercargill domestic assault fought back as she was strangled by her partner and then believed he tried to break her neck as the attack continued.

The ugly incident at a house in Lowe Street was described by the police in the Christchurch District Court when Alex Mataora Ngatai pleaded guilty to a series of charges.

Judge Emma Smith remanded the 21-year-old fisherman for a pre-sentence report and sentencing on June 30.

On the application of defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger, Ngatai was granted bail for the remand.

He pleaded guilty to assault with intent to injure, assaulting the woman, assault on a child, wilful damage, and possession of utensils for using drugs.

The police said Ngatai had been in a relationship with the woman for 18 months, but he became angry and started to yell at her when she woke him at 9am on February 28.

She asked him to help with the care of the children but Ngatai started yelling.

The woman thought he was going to hit her so she got out of bed and moved towards the doorway. Ngatai followed and pushed her into the wall where she fell over.

Ngatai grabbed her by her top and threw her onto the bed in the bedroom.

When he went to the garage, the woman followed to try to calm him down but he punched her in both eyes with his fist.

She then went back inside and sat in the lounge with her children.

Ngatai picked her up off the couch and took her into a bedroom where he pushed her onto a bed and wrapped his hands around her throat.

?The defendant squeezed the victim?s throat causing her to struggle to breathe,? the police summary of facts states. ?The victim in panic lashed out at the defendant, hitting and clawing at him so he would release his grip around her throat.?

The woman then went into the lounge to clean up the mess but Ngatai came up behind her and grabbed her by the forehead and put his knee into her back.

When he pulled her head backwards and dug his knee deep into her back, she believed he was trying to break her neck while she screamed and tried to get away.

She wriggled out of the hold and fell on the floor.

The victim?s two-year-old daughter then came into the room crying and was watching what was happening. Ngatai pushed her out of the way as he left the room, and she fell over crying.

The woman picked up the child and carried her into the lounge where Ngatai picked up and threw a five litre keg of bourbon, causing it to smash a light shade. He then punched a photo in a frame above the fireplace, smashing it.

Police were then called.

The woman had sore and swollen eyes and marks on her neck from being strangled.

Ngatai played down the incident when the police spoke to him. He admitted having a hand around the woman?s throat and said he may have accidentally punched her.