Three of New Zealand's most senior judges will today hear a rare appeal against a home-detention sentence imposed on a young Hawke's Bay father for assaults in which he broke his infant daughter's legs.
The 12-month sentence, which was to be served at the flat of a new girlfriend, was imposed on James Robert Hall in the High Court in Napier in August.
He had pleaded guilty to two charges of causing grievous bodily harm relating to incidents leading to the girl's admission to Hawke's Bay Hospital in March last year, when she was just 4 months old.
One represented reckless disregard for the child's safety in a number of incidents in the first few months of her life.
The second charge stated intent to injure in the incident which resulted in the admission to hospital.