Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

'It's okay Mum, I can fight Dad' - boy, 3, wanted to defend mother

Ric Stevens
By Ric Stevens
Open Justice reporter·NZ Herald·
5 Oct, 2022 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Jharn-Ryan Ewart appeared in the Hastings District Court. Photo / NZME

Jharn-Ryan Ewart appeared in the Hastings District Court. Photo / NZME

"It's okay, Mum. I can fight Dad."

These were the words of a three-year-old boy to his mother after her ex-partner kicked his way into her house with such force that he broke the door in half and knocked it off its hinges.

Jharn-Ryan Ewart, 30, appeared in the Hastings District Court on Wednesday for sentencing after pleading guilty to two charges of breaching a protection order and one of wilful damage.

Judge Gordon Matenga said that although there was no physical violence against the woman during the attack in August, Ewart had caused significant emotional and psychological harm.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The little boy's words were included in the woman's victim impact statement which the judge summarised to the court.

"This is your three-your-old son," Judge Matenga told Ewart. "This is the example you are showing to him.

"This needs to change immediately."

He said that the boy would think badly of him growing up and asked Ewart if that was what he wanted. Ewart replied no.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The court was told that Ewart had six convictions for breaching a protection order involving his ex-partner and police had attended 15 family harm call-outs.

Judge Matenga said that the woman's ending of the relationship had "brought out the worst in you".

After Ewart forced his way into the house, the woman's new partner confronted him while she fled out a bedroom window to a neighbour, where she called police and activated a personal alarm.

Ewart left but continued to call and message her constantly for the next five hours, while she remained "terrified" because she had been unable to secure the house.

Judge Matenga said Ewart had bought an engagement ring and wanted to give it to the woman.

Ewart was sentenced to five months of home detention at a Napier address, with post-detention conditions to be assessed for a stopping violence course, and to attend any counselling as determined by a probation officer.

He was also banned from contacting the woman or travelling south of Waipawa.

Judge Matenga said it was important for Ewart to repair his relationship with his son, but that he needed to stay away for a while "to let the dust settle".

FAMILY VIOLENCE

How to get help

If you're in danger now:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you.

• Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you.

• Take the children with you. Don't stop to get anything else.

• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.

Where to go for help or more information:

•

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Women's Refuge:

Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7)

•

Shine:

Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7)

•

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's Not Ok:

Family violence information line - 0800 456 450

•

Shakti:

Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children. Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7)

•

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Ministry of Justice:

For information on family violence

•

Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga:

National Network of Family Violence Services

•

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

White Ribbon:

Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women

How to hide your visit:

If you are reading this information on the Herald website and you're worried that someone using the same computer will find out what you've been looking at, you can follow the steps at

the link here

to hide your visit. Each of the websites above also has a section that outlines this process.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay TodayUpdated

'Absolutely stunning': New $825m highway nears completion

09 May 01:12 AM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

58m wall, no 'fatal flaws': New details about dam for Heretaunga revealed

09 May 12:34 AM
Hawkes Bay Today

'The perfect excuse': Hastings trail lights up NZ Music Month

08 May 11:23 PM

One tiny baby’s fight to survive

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

'Absolutely stunning': New $825m highway nears completion

'Absolutely stunning': New $825m highway nears completion

09 May 01:12 AM

The new highway will open in June, with the exact date not yet set.

Premium
58m wall, no 'fatal flaws': New details about dam for Heretaunga revealed

58m wall, no 'fatal flaws': New details about dam for Heretaunga revealed

09 May 12:34 AM
'The perfect excuse': Hastings trail lights up NZ Music Month

'The perfect excuse': Hastings trail lights up NZ Music Month

08 May 11:23 PM
Watch: Deer's ill-fated dash to airport - 'I've hit the darn thing'

Watch: Deer's ill-fated dash to airport - 'I've hit the darn thing'

08 May 10:51 PM
Connected workers are safer workers 
sponsored

Connected workers are safer workers 

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP