While driving, the disagreement escalated and Turner began to threaten the woman with violence, while driving more recklessly as he became increasingly agitated.
The child was screaming for Turner to stop.
He drove back to the motel where he again threatened the woman, telling her he would “waste her” if she and the child got out of the car.
The victim grabbed her child and tried to get out of the car, but Turner stopped her by yelling at her to give him the child, “or else”.
Another resident from the motel came to intervene, and Turner got out of the car to aggressively confront them, leaving the driver’s door open.
The mother took her chance and got out of the car, before Turner got back in and drove off, with the child still inside.
He drove around to another entrance to the motel, and yelled at the mother: “I’ll f***en run you over b****”, before he drove at her as she fled into a room.
Today, he was sentenced on charges of assault with a weapon, abducting a young person, and escaping police custody.
Judge Crayton said he’d received a pre-sentence report which was, “as positive a pre-sentence report as I have encountered for someone who has been appearing before the court as often as you have as a young person.”
The judge said it was clear Turner had impressed the report writer, and this was unusual, particularly for someone who was “well-accustomed” to the court.
He had taken responsibility for the offending, and was already taking steps to turn things around.
“Probation officers are not often impressed when someone says ‘I’m going to try and take a different route’.”
The judge had insight into Turner’s family and background, both as a judge and during his time as counsel.
“I have knowledge which informs my approach today,” he said.
The question was “how to harness that” to both the court’s and Turner’s advantage.
“The reality is only one person can actually change your future, and that’s you,” he said.
“Nobody else can change the decisions you make when the moment arrives to make a good decision, or a bad decision.”
The judge said it was important that Turner continued to change his ways, or it would not end well.
“You need to be very clear, you will be going to prison and it will just get longer and longer. You’ve seen how this ends, not just for you but for children, grandchildren...
“It ends with an old frail person, locked up for a long time, with children who don’t really recognise them, or whose memories of their parents or grandparent is of the violence and the bad stuff.”
The judge said he couldn’t control the outcome, he could only give Turner an opportunity.
“You let me down, you go to prison.”
The judge commended Turner’s “bravery” in accepting the fault was his.
“The easy route for you was just to go down the harmful repetition of past behaviour.”
The judge gave Turner a “combination sentence” of both community detention and intensive supervision.
He was sentenced to six months’ community detention, which had a night-time curfew of 7pm to 7am, and he would serve that at Pivot, a specialist accommodation service for men.
He would also complete a Tuu Oho Mai programme – which provides education that aims to end family violence.
He would also be subject to two years of intensive supervision, which included judicial monitoring.
“Giving you a period of intensive supervision when you are supported and when there’s an expectation on you, together with plans and rehabilitative programmes for two years, will give you a good platform.”
The judge said beyond the prospect of ending up in prison if he didn’t comply with the terms of the sentence, Turner had another incentive to consider.
“Your family sit here today, in particular your mother and your siblings. Your siblings are looking to you to be the person to provide the way forward.
“Your mother is looking to you to be support, and to be there for her. You know that coming back before the court will mean you’re not going to be there,” he said.
“I cannot think of any greater incentive that a young person can have than that.”
Turner received hugs of support from his family after he left the dock.
Hannah Bartlett is a Tauranga-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She previously covered court and local government for the Nelson Mail, and before that was a radio reporter at Newstalk ZB.
