Home detention for ex-policeman

A former police officer jailed for two years for attacking his girlfriend is to be released on home detention in November.

This was revealed at Simon Nita Ruru's appeal hearing in Auckland yesterday.

Ruru's lawyer, Peter Kaye, told the Court of Appeal that the two-year term imposed in the Manukau District Court was excessive.

A jury found 27-year-old Ruru, at the time a police officer, guilty of assaulting his partner, Dana Cornes, with intent to injure and injuring her with intent to injure on January 11.

He was cleared on seven other assault-related charges. The trial judge, Russell Johnson, said when sentencing Ruru that he had put Ms Cornes in a headlock and bitten her on the forehead at their Howick home.

She was left with a lump on her forehead half the size of a squash ball.

The jury also heard that after an argument earlier in the day, Ms Cornes got out of Ruru's car but he refused to give her her crutch which she needed following an operation, and drove away. She got someone from a nearby house to drive her home.

Ruru was found not guilty of escaping from lawful custody and assaulting a police dog handler.

The jury heard that he was "maimed" when attacked by a police dog, named Jake.

The Court of Appeal reserved its decision.