A 20-year-old man who made in excess of 50 threatening calls to his heavily pregnant partner and tried to ram a car off the road has been jailed despite his lawyer pleading to allow him home because he had been beaten up and constantly threatened in jail.
However, he will only spend another two to three weeks in jail because of time already served.
Radiator repairer Kody Clifton Sydney Greeks was sentenced to a total of 10 months jail on a raft of charges when he appeared before Judge Pat Grace in Masterton District Court recently.
Greeks had previously pleaded guilty to one charge each of male assaults female and dangerous driving, two of wilful damage and three of breaching of a protection order relating to a number of incidences on December 1 and 3 in the Wairarapa and Palmerston North. He perforated his partner's ear drum during one assault.
Defence lawyer Ian Hard said Greeks had already spent four months in jail on remand, the equivalent of a eight and a half month jail term and asked for him to be given a short jail sentence so he could return to his partner, child and and job.
He had not found it easy inside, Mr Hard said. "He has been beaten and threatened constantly. He has been segregated and has found it particularly hard. He has learnt a hard lesson ... he's keen to get back to his family."
Judge Grace said Greeks' victim was "clearly terrified" during the assaults on her. She was 26 weeks pregnant at the time.
Some of the offences occurred while Greeks was already on bail facing serious charges.
"This was serious violence ... as a result she suffered a perforated eardrum ... this was while you were on bail, that breach was quite serious in my view."
Judge Grace sentenced Greeks to total of 10 months jail and disqualified him from driving for eight months.