Jail for 'ugly' attack on bound partner

By David Clarkson at Christchurch Men's Prison

Blake Ronald Timutimu’s “ugly” attack on his bound partner has drawn a 19-month jail term.

Christchurch District Court Judge Jane Farish said she was worried about the rapid mood swing he showed after an assault that must have been terrifying for the victim.

“You stopped as if nothing had happened, and gave her a towel,” said the judge at a sentencing inside Christchurch Men’s Prison today. “I am concerned that you could be so incredibly violent and then pretend nothing had happened.”

Timutimu, 22, was being sentenced after admitting charges of assault on the woman, intentional damage, assaulting a policewoman, drink-driving, and driving while disqualified.

Defence counsel Andrew Bailey said the account of the assault “makes ugly reading”, but Timutimu showed a high level of remorse and had helped the victim after he realised what he had done.

Judge Farish said it had been a very deliberate assault by Timutimu. He had restrained his partner, tied her hands in front of her, and then struck her around the head. He then dragged her by the hair into a bathroom where she cowered while he punched her another three times to head and kneed her in the face while still holding her hair.

He was passive when the police arrived and found the woman with a bleeding nose, swollen lip, grazing to her face, and bruising to her head. He began struggling as he was being taken away and kicked a police officer in the face.

Timutimu has several previous convictions for violence including five assaults in 2006, robbery in 2007, assault in 2008, as well as breaches of court orders.

“The time has come for you to seriously think about how you are behaving,” said the judge. She told him he had a real issue with anger. “Unless you deal with it you are not going to have any successful relationship, and find yourself serving longer and longer terms of imprisonment.”

She jailed Timutimu for 19 months and disqualified him from driving for 10 months.