A Wanganui man who attacked his pregnant partner could remember what he'd been drinking but not the assault, a court has heard.

Shane Christopher Corbett, 30, appeared before Judge Dugald Matheson in Whanganui District Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for his "bully behaviour".

He was represented by lawyer Jamie Waugh.

On October 4, 2012, Corbett visited his estranged partner at her home in Waverley, where he consumed alcohol.

The two then headed to a pub.

According to the summary of facts, Corbett's partner left the pub before he did.

When he returned to her house, he approached her and punched the right side of her face.

She fell over, and he stood over her and kicked her about the head, chest and stomach.

His partner managed to flee to a neighbour's house.

He then had a "hissy fit", Judge Matheson said, and started throwing things around. He shouted he was going to kill her.

Outside, Corbett paced about, before grabbing a kitchen knife and using it to puncture the tyres of her car.

She suffered swelling and bruising to her face and body.

While the couple have three children, and a fourth on the way, they live apart, Corbett in Wanganui and his partner in Waverley.

He told a probation officer he couldn't remember attacking his partner, but he was able to recall what he had been drinking.

Corbett pleaded guilty to the offending after a sentence-indication hearing pointed to home detention.

Judge Matheson said he was prepared, albeit reluctantly, to impose home detention, because Corbett had admitted the offending as a result of the sentence indication.

On charges of male assaults female and threatening to kill, Corbett was sentenced to 10 months' home detention, while on one count of wilful damage, he was ordered to pay $2300 in reparation.

- WANGANUI CHRONICLE