Jordan Crawford, 34, outside the Hamilton District Court on Wednesday after being sentenced on four violence charges, along with one of failing to attend court. Photo / Belinda Feek
A harness racing driver with a penchant for punching his partner has been labelled a “thug” and a “coward” by a judge, who told him he was lucky he didn’t go to prison.
Judge Noel Cocurullo didn’t mince his words as he considered the sentence for Jordan Hendrix Crawford, 34, in the Hamilton District Court this week.
“I’m just sick of men who hit women.
“Your behaviour was cowardly ... it was utter gratuitous violence.”
Crawford had earlier admitted assault on a person in a family relationship and three charges of assault with intent to injure, after attacks between November 10, 2024, and April 13, last year.
After being told of Crawford’s methamphetamine addiction, Judge Cocurullo was left even less impressed.
“You wouldn’t want him out of it on meth in a sulky behind a horse,” the judge said.
All of the attacks happened while the pair was travelling in a car, with either Crawford or his former partner in the driver’s seat.
On the first occasion, the pair had been arguing at a Boundary Rd property before getting in their car and driving off down State Highway 1, towards Cambridge.
By now, the argument was heated, and Crawford punched the victim “multiple” times to her right arm and leg while demanding she answer his questions.
“Think about how you answer my next question.
“If you hesitate or I think you’re lying, I will smash you again,” he told her as she begged him to stop.
Then about 1pm on January 19, last year, the pair began arguing at BP Rototuna over the way the victim was answering questions.
They drove off down Horsham Downs Rd, and an enraged Crawford “started hitting everything in the vehicle”, before launching a two-minute long attack on the victim, punching her all over her body.
“Look at what you made me do, you s***, I f***ing hate you,” he told her.
He then punched her twice in the face, causing her nose to bleed.
Later that night, the pair was driving to KFC Cambridge and began arguing over Crawford borrowing the victim’s car.
She said “no”, and as they drove, he punched her twice in the face.
“Do you want me to take you to hospital, are you dying? No, well shut the f*** up, then,” he told her.
On January 29, the pair was driving to Rotorua when they began arguing over Crawford blocking people on the victim’s phone.
He punched her left arm with full force as he drove down SH1 at Karapiro, and struggled to control the car as he rained down 20 more punches.
In April, the pair was again travelling around Karapiro and began arguing over the victim’s previous relationships.
Crawford, who was driving, punched the victim in the face.
He pulled over and tried to grab her T-shirt, but she ran off into a bush for safety.
When questioned by police, Crawford said; “She hit me first, so it became a hit for a hit”.
Crawford had earlier accepted a sentence indication from Judge Cocurullo of a 30-month prison starting point, with a 20% discount for his guilty pleas.
His counsel, Catriona Kunac, was tasked with not only keeping him out of jail, but getting a further 5% discount for her client’s addiction and background issues, and rehabilitation prospects.
She explained that he’d been upfront about his meth addiction, which she said was at the forefront when this offending took place. He had also been homeless and living out of a car.
However, he now had a property available for home detention.
She said this was his first time before the court on violence charges, and he hasn’t had the opportunity of a rehabilitative sentence.
“I’m not much interested in a rehabilitative sentence for him, frankly,” Judge Cocurullo said.
“What does he need rehabilitation from?”
Kunac said he had an issue with meth that he had been upfront about.
“So we want him in the racing industry, out of it on meth, in a sulky, behind a horse.
“You wouldn’t want someone out of it on meth in a sulky behind a horse, would you?” the judge asked Crawford’s support person, who was now retired from the horse racing scene.
“Well, no,” the man replied.
Kunac said Crawford was now in a much better position, had a job and was staying away from drugs.
“I’m just sick of men who hit women, Ms Kunac,” the judge said to her.
“I’m just tired of it.”
He then turned to Crawford.
“Your behaviour was cowardly,” the judge told him.
“He comes here and whinges, please don’t send me to jail,” the judge then put to Kunac.
“But it’s utter gratuitous violence. He’s got the courage to smack her ... even so far as ‘you made me do it’.”
Kunac said she wasn’t trying to excuse her client’s behaviour, but the meth and homelessness were part of his circumstances at the time.
She persisted with her push for home detention, reiterated that he was now clean, had no previous convictions for violence, and was keen to stay in the community.
“I’m not remotely interested in him continuing to work.
“My job is keeping the community safe.”
After taking a break to consider his fate, the judge returned and agreed to sentence him to home detention, “despite his better judgment”.
However, he wasn’t impressed that Crawford told a pre-sentence report writer that the victim had “embellished” what happened.
“I wouldn’t have thought anyone in the racing industry would have you behind any horse, munted on methamphetamine.
“Time will tell as to whether that continues to be a problem for you.”
Judge Cocurullo warned him that another violence conviction meant he’d be going to jail, as it was his lack of those specific convictions that kept him in the community.
He issued him a final warning and sentenced him to 10 months’ home detention, along with conditions not to drink, do drugs, or contact the victim.
He also ordered Crawford to pay the victim $1500 in emotional harm reparation.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.