Whangārei man Jonathan Wilson jailed for repeated assaults on vulnerable partner

A woman endured two assaults at the hands of her partner within 24 hours. Photo / 123rf

WARNING: This article discusses family harm and may be upsetting to some readers

After threatening to break his partner’s ankles with a dumbbell and assaulting her, a man launched a second, more vicious attack just hours later.

Now, Jonathan Wilson, 39, has appeared for sentence in the Whangārei District Court on two charges of violence against his partner.

The first charge, assault on a person in a family relationship, occurred on August 8 when Wilson hit, pushed and kicked his partner in the ribs.

He told her he would “break more if she wanted” and then threatened to smash her ankles with a dumbbell so she could not walk.

The victim left the house but after receiving texts from Wilson wanting to reconcile, she returned home in the evening.

At 5.30am the following day, the victim woke with medical issues and a verbal argument began between the pair.

Wilson became angry and pushed the victim onto the bed before launching 10 closed fist punches to her head and body.

Wilson’s sister was in another room and called out to him in an attempt to intervene.

The victim took the opportunity to call the police for assistance.

The court viewed the second assault, which resulted in a charge of assault with intent to injure, as the lead offence, given that the victim was particularly vulnerable after suffering the earlier attack.

Wilson’s lawyer, John Day, said Wilson had taken advantage of courses available while on remand and acknowledged “there’s some demons in his life he needs to address”.

Judge Taryn Bayley said the victim posed a serious risk of being harmed as she had a number of health issues she was also dealing with.

“She felt her ribs were broken, she had bruising to the body and she felt anxious and scared. She hopes you get the help you need for your anger in the future,” the judge said.

She acknowledged Wilson had completed 40 sessions of Narcotics Anonymous but, with his history of domestic violence, said he also needed to address his anger issues.

“Until you do that, you’re not a safe person to be in a relationship with. You need to work on yourself first.

“I can only encourage you to continue with that rehab.”

Wilson was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.