The High Court has rejected a Whangarei man's appeal that a sentence of 12 months' jail for two breaches of a protection order was excessive.
Tamaine Mataiti was charged with the twin breaches and one of wilful damage.
He pleaded guilty to the three charges and was sentenced in the Whangarei District Court in May to one year in jail on the breaches and ordered to pay $120 in reparation on the other charge.
Mataiti was released on bail after his first breach of a protection order and committed the second breach while on bail.
At his appeal, defence lawyer Leon Penney submitted that the sentencing judge placed too much emphasis on Mataiti's previous convictions and failed to take into account a positive pre-sentence report.
Appearing for the police, lawyer Catherine Anderson said the sentence by Judge John McDonald wasn't out of range, given the circumstances of the case.
Justice Paul Heath said there was no tariff authority for breach of protection orders sentences and that it was appropriate for Judge McDonald to regard the victim's desires for Mataiti to return to her with a degree of cynicism.
In summing up his decision, Justice Heath said that while Judge McDonald's sentence may be seen as stern, there was no basis to interfere with it on grounds of it being manifestly excessive.