Great Barrier kidnapper to be sentenced today

Nathan Boulter appearing at the Auckland District Court. Photo / NZPA

A man who kidnapped his ex-girlfriend, sparking a 38-hour manhunt on Great Barrier Island early last year, will today be sentenced at High Court at Auckland.

Nathan Boulter pleaded guilty to nine charges in April this year relating to the beating, kidnapping, and strangling of his ex-girlfriend Nortessa Montgomerie and her new partner early last year. Other charges remain suppressed.

According to the police summary of facts released to APNZ, Boulter was out on bail in January last year after being charged with assaulting Ms Montgomerie while the pair lived together in Southland.

Ms Montgomerie left Boulter and moved back to her family on the remote island of Great Barrier in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.

While Ms Montgomerie and her new partner, Michael Stewart, babysat her 7-year-old brother and his friend early last year, Boulter went into the couple's bedroom and hid under their bed.

Later that night the couple came into the room and lay on the bed before Boulter hit Ms Montgomerie's new partner over the head with an object.

He then turned on Ms Montgomerie and hit her before he returned to Mr Stewart and knocked him out. Mr Stewart was left with a fractured skull.

Ms Montgomerie ran screaming from the bedroom but Boulter caught her by her hair and dangled her over the balcony.

He grabbed a weed grubber and threatened her with it before kidnapping her and dragging her across farmland.

The police were called when Mr Stewart came to and could not find his girlfriend.

Boulter hid Ms Montgomerie in isolated bush and dragged her around the island to avoid the police manhunt.

Ms Montgomerie's ordeal lasted 38 hours before searchers found her and Boulter. She was left with a brain bleed from the strangulation and bruises and swelling to her head and body.