Woman on assault charge given second chance in Dannevirke court

Two people were sentenced in Dannevirke District Court on family violence charges. Photo / File

A woman facing charges of assault and wilful damage was given a second change when she appeared for sentence in Dannevirke District Court.

Nakita Edmonds, 30, was under stress at the time of the offences, counsel Leo Laferty told Judge Stephanie Edwards.

"Miss Edmonds had been staying locally with her mother but was based in Alfredton for work so had a long distance to travel each day for work."

Judge Edwards noted Edmonds had a long history of alcohol-related and violent offending.

"The victim was her sister. She said in her victim impact report that she hoped Edmonds would get some help with her alcohol problem."

Laferty told the court Edmonds had received some assistance in 2015 but she was mature enough to realise she had to get more help.

Edmonds was moving to Alfredton in the hope of alleviating some of the stress of travelling each day, Laferty told the court.

Judge Edwards told Edmonds she did not want to set her up to fail.

"If you think you have a problem that is affecting your life and your health you need to do something about it," Judge Edwards said.

"I understand you have got to prioritise your work so I don't want to impose a sentence that will set you up to fail."

Judge Edwards convicted Edmonds of the charges and ordered her to come up for sentence if called upon in the next six months.

"It's like a suspended sentence. If you have any more offences and appear in court for them you will be resentenced on these charges."

Also appearing on family violence charges was Zac Matthew Tau who was also represented by Laferty.

"Tau arrived home from work drunk. He wasn't happy with the meal his on-and-off partner of 13 years had prepared.

"He became angry, she asked him to leave. He refused so she tried to push him out of the door because he was scaring their four children."

Tau pushed his partner to the floor and he kicked her in the head. She called out to her aunt who was in the house, but Tau pushed her away.

Laferty told the court that Tau's partner became scared of him because she said he had not acted in that way before.

"She is struggling to have the children on her own and wants them to have their father in their lives."

Judge Edwards told Tau it was clear he worked hard.

"What you acknowledge yourself is that you drink pretty hard too. But you need to acknowledge that your partner has a busy household. You say yourself that you forget when you come home from working a 12-hour day that she's been managing the home."

Judge Edwards said it was part of Tau's lifestyle that there was drinking on the way home from work.

Tau was risking his own health and his family life, she said.

"You have four children who are watching you and will model their own behaviour on your behaviour."

She urged Tau to look after himself.

"Alcohol and cannabis don't help."

She considered that a sentence of supervision would be sufficient in the long term rather than a rehabilitative sentence.

Tau was sentenced to nine months' supervision.