Man jailed for repeated brutal assaults and threats to former partner

Brandishing a tomahawk, Michael Tawhara told his then-girlfriend she'd 'better watch out mate, I’m gonna stick this in your f...... head'.

WARNING: This story contains graphic details

An assault in which a man punched his then-girlfriend about 10 times in the face and head was clearly the most serious of matters bringing him for sentence for offending against her.

Another assault also involved an attack to the woman’s head.

Threats to her were serious too. They were direct, precise and specific against a vulnerable victim, Judge David Robinson said.

Michael Tawhara, 56, labourer, had admitted two charges of assault with intent to injure, one charge of assault in a family relationship, three charges of threatening to kill/do grievous bodily harm and one charge of posting a digital communication causing the victim serious emotional distress, between March 1 and early May.

Appearing in the Dunedin District Court on Tuesday, he was sentenced to 34 months jail.

On March 1, there was an argument and Tawhara punched the 30-year-old woman about 10 times in the face and head with both hands.

The woman received a black eye and sustained bleeding to the back of her head.

On March 21, he accused her of calling out her ex-partner’s name while she was sleeping and being racist. And he kicked her right leg, at the back of her thigh, causing a big bruise.

The next day, between 9am and 1pm, a voice recording was obtained by the victim. Tawhara could be heard threatening to harm her family, saying “I will wipe out your entire family”. He threatened and yelled he would take all of her benefit money.

Brandishing a tomahawk, he said, “Better watch out mate, I’m gonna stick this in your f...... head”.

Eventually, he switched his attitude and was no longer angry, saying, “you’ll be fine” and that he was not going to hurt her.

On April 11 and 27, he made further threats.

And on May 2, he punched the victim four times in the head, making contact four times with her arms which she had in a position to protect her head from the blows.

The digital communication charge was from his actions within hours of being released on bail for the offending against the woman, and after the relationship had ended.

Counsel Brendan Stephenson said Tawhara primarily came to Dunedin from the North Island for the relationship. The move did not go well. Tawhara was not coping well with other things happening in his life.

“Dealing with stress, he loses his temper.”

Tawhara took responsibility for what he’d done. He acknowledged the relationship was over and that he needed to return to his family and deal with his incredibly big issues with anger and temper control, Stephenson said.

Judge Robinson noted Tawhara had been exposed to violence in the household as a child and had himself been the victim of violence.

A seven-year gap in his offending, from being released from custody in 2015 until last year, was a reflection of the positive efforts he had made and his being able to lead an offence-free lifestyle, the judge said.

But, in reference to the victim impact report being read, he told Tawhara: “You heard the harrowing details of the effect of your offending upon her.”