By STUART DYE
The family of Coral-Ellen Burrows are no strangers to the law.
Six years ago her father, Ron Burrows, was sentenced to five months' periodic detention after a family row exploded into a series of drunken, violent incidents.
He was also given a 12-month supervision order, after being convicted
of threatening to kill and assaulting Sandra Cremen, the mother of his now-estranged partner Jeanna Cremen, during the row.
During the incident in October 1997 Mr Burrows was in an altercation with Jeanna Cremen's crippled father, Barry.
Mr Burrows was acquitted of attacking Mr Cremen. He was also cleared of assaulting Jeanna Cremen.
In sentencing in the Wellington District Court, Judge Patrick Keane said that alcohol had been a problem for Mr Burrows and he was fortunate to enjoy the jury's doubt over the charge of assaulting Mr Cremen.
The jury, which took five hours to reach its verdict, accepted that Mr Burrows, 33 at the time, had acted in self-defence.
Mr Burrows has been separated from Coral's mother for several years. He now lives in Te Puke and Coral and her brother Storm stay with him during school holidays.
The court details from six years ago show that Mr Burrows and Mr Cremen had been drinking most of the day when an argument started and Mr Cremen was pushed over.
Mr Burrows had then punched both Jeanna and her mother, whom he also threatened to kill if she left with his children.
Defence counsel said Mr Cremen had reached up from the floor and grabbed Mr Burrows' testicles and had to be hit before he released his grip.
Prosecutors said Mr Burrows had been in a scuffle with Mr Cremen. Mr Burrows also smashed the window of a car in which Mr and Mrs Cremen were trying to leave.
Judge Keane said the sequence of events was disturbing and he believed Mr Burrows had run amok and become violent and threatening.
After hearing that his daughter was missing on Tuesday, Mr Burrows drove through the night to get to Featherston. He arrived early on Wednesday to help with the search.
Yesterday he sat with his former partner at a press conference to appeal for help with the inquiry into Coral's disappearance.
Jeanna's parents are understood to be in England, where they own a canal boat.
A Featherston resident said they bought the boat after Mr Cremen, who was a builder, lost his leg in an accident about six years ago.
By STUART DYE
The family of Coral-Ellen Burrows are no strangers to the law.
Six years ago her father, Ron Burrows, was sentenced to five months' periodic detention after a family row exploded into a series of drunken, violent incidents.
He was also given a 12-month supervision order, after being convicted
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