Man wielding screwdriver advanced on former partner as she held their baby

Richard Taura was sentenced to community detention after threatening his former partner with a screwdriver.

Richard Taura stabbed his ex-partner’s television with a screwdriver before advancing on her, brandishing the weapon as she held their baby.

Taura’s former partner, who he had recently split with after a two-and-a-half year relationship, arrived home about 3.30pm on March 9, 2021 to find her gate had been rammed inward, the summary of facts details.

She then discovered the windscreen and rear window of a car left in the driveway smashed, with a garden ornament lying on the backseat.

A door to a shed had also been forced open and the lock was lying on the floor inside the building.

About 20 minutes later, Taura arrived at her home and walked up to her, asking where all his stuff was.

Taura then grabbed a screwdriver and began yelling and swearing at the woman while she held their seven-month-old baby and her older child was in the room.

He admitted he had smashed the windows of her car before stabbing the TV with the screwdriver.

Taura then advanced on the woman while still wielding the weapon.

“The defendant’s aggressive behaviour made the complainant scared for her safety and [the] safety of her children.”

As he walked out of the house, the 49-year-old picked up a broom and seriously damaged the windscreen of another car before leaving the scene.

A year earlier, on March 9, 2020, Taura took a Toyota Hilux from outside an address in Raetihi after approaching the driver while holding a shovel in an aggressive manner.

The Hilux was later located abandoned and out of fuel in the town.

Taura told police he had borrowed the ute for a short time to get his own car, which was stuck.

On Wednesday, he appeared before Judge Ian Carter in the Whanganui District Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to three charges of wilful damage and one charge each of threatening grievous bodily harm, assault with a weapon and unlawful taking of a motor vehicle.

Defence lawyer Stephanie Burlace, appearing for Debbie Goodlet, said Taura had spent a long time on electronically monitored bail without issues and sought a community based sentence.

Crown prosecutor Jack Liu said there were serious concerns about Taura’s lack of remorse, as he continued to deny the offending despite it being caught on CCTV.

Liu said the Crown remained neutral on a community-based sentence, but conceded it would be the least restrictive outcome and would allow Taura to take courses to gain insight into the effect of his offending.

Judge Carter noted there was no actual violence in any of the incidents.

A S27 report detailed how Taura had experienced physical and emotional harm from his step-father, had had a broken education because the family moved regularly, and his detachment from his mother and sister.

“These things have contributed to the current offending and previous offending.”

Judge Carter sentenced Taura to six months’ community detention with a 7pm to 7am curfew and ordered him to pay $1500 in reparation.