Drunken assault results in a sentence of intensive supervision for Whanganui man

Mark Hopper was sentenced on Tuesday in the Whanganui District Court to 18 months' intensive supervision. Photo / Bevan Conley

A man started drinking alcohol at 9am on the day of a family function and it ended with him assaulting his pregnant partner.

The following morning, Mark Hopper handed his partner's son his schoolbag, telling him to pack his clothes because he and his mother were moving out.

He then proceeded to forcibly pull his partner out of bed, dragging her by the arms.

In the Whanganui District Court on Tuesday Hopper pleaded guilty to a charge of male assaults female and Judge Philip Crayton sentenced him to 18 months' intensive supervision.

"Mr Hopper, family violence in the home is not acceptable. Family violence when the victim is pregnant is not acceptable. Family violence will not be tolerated," Judge Crayton said.

"You get by and large one opportunity to address it and ensure it doesn't happen again. If you don't take the opportunity, we very rapidly move to prison."

Throughout the day of the function, Hopper had also thrown his cellphone out of a moving vehicle, flipped a coffee table over and smashed a pane of glass.

Hopper had no history of family violence and a limited history in court overall.