Dunedin man who strangled, waterboarded ex-partner jailed for four years

Blair William Hurndell appeared in the Dunedin District Court and was jailed for four years for an assault on an ex-partner. Photo / Otago Daily Times

WARNING: Article contains graphic descriptions of violence.

A Dunedin man has been jailed for waterboarding an ex-partner and strangling himself in an attempt to claim self-defence.

Blair William Hurndell, 47, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after strangling himself with a T-shirt and scratching at his neck in an attempt to be viewed as a victim.

On March 13, the man was at his home when an argument broke out between him and a female associate.

A physical altercation ensued, with the woman being “pushed and shoved” around the house.

When she tried to call for help, Hurndell hid her phone and stomped on her laptop.

After throwing her on to the bed, he used both hands to strangle the woman — causing her to experience “pins and needles in her face”, loss of vision and almost lose control of all bodily functions, the court heard.

Still strangling the woman, the man grabbed a water bottle and began squirting it into her nose and mouth.

The victim was unable to breathe and thought she was going to die.

“That can only be described as waterboarding,” Judge Michael Turner said.

“That is a form of torture.”

The woman said that, as she gasped for air, all she could take on was water and she believed she would drown.

“He completely rejects any suggestion of waterboarding, but he does accept squirting water at the victim,” counsel Deborah Henderson said.

The man was arrested at his home a short time after the assault and while in police custody he removed his T-shirt, placing it around his neck.

In order to cause redness, he tightened it and “scratched heavily” at himself using both hands.

He told police the victim had strangled him.

Hurndell penned a full written statement, outlining how the woman had tied her bathrobe around his neck and dragged him for 2m.

He said he had only restrained the victim in order to stop her from hurting herself and he had squirted water at her in an attempt to “calm her down”.

“There is no remorse in this case ... you were attempting to blame the victim and went to great lengths to do so,” Judge Turner said.

The woman, who was already vulnerable due to poor health, suffered whiplash, neck injuries and difficulty breathing as a result of the attack.

“Her anxiety is through the roof, she has frequent panic attacks, she has isolated herself from the world,” the judge said.

“You ruined her life and she never wants to see you again.”

Hurndell was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for strangulation, assault in a family relationship and making a false statement.

He was also convicted of demanding with menaces after a gang-related incident in 2019 when he and two associates took two vehicles from a victim after demanding $25,000.