Mosgiel man jailed for violent attack on partner

Dunedin District Court. Photo / Otago Daily Times

A Mosgiel man who ripped some of his partner's hair out and abused her for hours during a vicious New Year's attack has been jailed for 22 months.

Nathan Steven Graham, 30, had marked the turn of the year by consuming a large amount of alcohol as well as MDMA and Ritalin, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.

He and his partner were in bed when the abuse began.

It was verbal at first but Graham's rage quickly became physical.

He punched the victim up to 15 times in the head, using both fists, before snapping her cellphone and throwing it to the floor.

Graham grabbed the woman by the hair and dragged her 10m to the bathroom.

He used such force that some hair was pulled from her scalp, court documents said.

Once inside the bathroom, the defendant pulled off the victim's clothes, pushed her into the cold shower and told her to clean herself up.

Not even then did the woman receive any respite.

Graham continued the torrent of abuse and slammed her head into the shower wall three times.

After pulling the victim out, he pushed her down the hallway, causing her to fall on to a child's safety gate.

Graham climbed on top of her and began to squeeze her throat.

When he released his grip he hit her a couple more times then demanded she get back into bed.

The woman was so terrified she obeyed him.

As they lay there, the court heard how Graham retrieved a butcher's meat cleaver and told her he would "slit her throat and no one would know".

If she told anyone about what had happened, he would kill her parents, the defendant said.

To stress his point, Graham slammed the knife on to the bed in a stabbing motion.

After smashing glass items and ordering the victim to change the bedding, he spent the rest of the night continuing the verbal tirade.

It was only when the sun came up and Graham went for a shower that the woman was able to take her toddler and flee the home.

Judge Michael Turner noted the crimes came while the defendant was on sentence and that he had a history of family violence stretching back several years.

A psychological report put Graham at high risk of future violence.

While counsel Chris Lynch said her client was receptive to treatment, the judge said Graham had received rehabilitative interventions in the past and it had not been the catalyst for lasting change.

Graham was convicted of strangulation, injuring with intent to injure and threatening to kill, and a protection order was made in favour of the victim.