Baby abuser for class on motherhood

A drunk woman who took her baby outside on a cold night in only a nappy and refused to cover the child up has signed up for a parenting course.

Deidre Raea, 23, was one of two people who appeared for sentencing on child abuse charges in the Rotorua District Court yesterday.

Raea's sentencing was adjourned to allow her to take an eight-week parenting course.

Daena Hura, a 25-year-old millhand, received nine months' supervision for throwing his 10-year-old nephew against a glass cabinet, knocking him unconscious.

Raea earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of cruelty to a child after she took the 7-month-old outside on a windy, rainy night in only a nappy.

The temperature was less than 10C when she went out at 10.20pm after an argument with someone in her home.

Police said Raea was drunk and had woken the baby after the argument.

A motorist saw her walking with the baby and offered help, but Raea responded with abuse.

The woman persuaded Raea to come to her house to get a blanket for the baby, but when Raea got there, she refused to come inside and threw the blanket on the ground.

She put her baby on the grass beside it.

Judge Phillip Cooper agreed to adjourn Raea's sentencing at the request of her lawyer, Harry Edward, who said she was scheduled to do parenting and drug-and-alcohol courses.

The judge told Raea that she had been through restorative justice but needed to do the courses.

"There's work now to be done."

In Hura's case, he agreed that a sentence of supervision was appropriate because Hura was "completely remorseful and ashamed".

The court heard that the 25-year-old had no recollection of assaulting his nephew in the early hours of March 10, but pleaded guilty when he was told.

The incident happened after an argument with his partner, who tried to get the boy out of the house but was unable to before Hura grabbed him and threw him against the glass cabinet, shattering the door.

The 10-year-old was momentarily knocked unconscious and received a cut to the thigh and severe bruising to his face. He spent a night in Rotorua Hospital.

Hura stood with his head slightly bowed as Judge Cooper recounted the facts.

"You were completely intoxicated. You didn't even know what you had done," the judge said.

But he commended him for taking courses to combat violence and addiction, saying the restorative justice process had been extensive and Hura was doing everything the court would hope.

"There have been serious efforts to turn your life around."

Hura's lawyer, Andrew Schulze, had earlier handed the judge a letter written by Hura's mother, who was in the public gallery to support her son.

Mr Schulze said Hura also had the support of his partner and sister, and his nephew still visited him.

"The needs of the victim have been met," Mr Schulze said.

Hura had begun a course at the Addiction Resource Centre and finished 15 weeks of a 25-week programme run by the Challenge Violence Trust.

Mr Schulze requested a deferred sentence or a sentence of community work on the basis that Hura had no previous convictions for violence.

The judge sentenced him to supervision on condition that he continue his courses and counselling, and do any other assessments directed by his probation officer.