Racist insults spark assault

Racial slurs spurred a woman into attacking her ex-partner last month, a court was told.

Tania Taku appeared in the Whanganui District Court on Tuesday where she pleaded guilty to assaulting with intent to injure, for an attack that involved her kicking the victim repeatedly as he lay on the ground.

The pair live in the same housing complex and were drinking together at the time, police prosecutor Sergeant David Grey said.

An argument started, during which the victim started making "racial slurs towards the defendant", he said.

Taku began attacking the victim, who was lying on the floor at the time.

She kicked him about nine times to the body and four to six times to the head.

Defence lawyer Stephanie Burlace said Taku knew she had done wrong.

"She knows that she really shouldn't have reacted to those racial slurs as she did, sir, and that it was wrong to do so," Ms Burlace said.

"Ms Taku tells me that she has apologised to him and made him a cup of tea and the like the next day... it's a friendship, not anything more than that these days, sir."

Ms Burlace said Taku and the victim were "getting on well" and that.

Taku said she was "grateful" the victim had not suffered any injuries except for a split lip.

Judge Dugald Matheson remanded Taku to April 28 for sentencing and referred the matter to Restorative Justice.