Jailed for garden tool attack

A man who attacked his friend with a garden tool earned prison time after an appearance in the Whanganui District Court on Thursday.

Mathew Llewellyn-Thomas was drinking with his friend on February 12 when the friend got up to leave on his bicycle.

Llewellyn-Thomas stopped him, asking him to stay, Judge David Cameron said.

The victim shoved him away and Llewellyn-Thomas went and picked up a 40cm garden tool, striking him two to three times in the head.

The victim suffered a 30mm laceration to his head but declined medical treatment, Judge Cameron said.

When Llewellyn-Thomas was arrested and placed in the patrol car, he tried to lift his legs and kick the driver.

Llewellyn-Thomas also breached a protection order on February 7 when he met up with his partner of seven years to see his son. They met in an alleyway and Llewellyn-Thomas picked up his son, only to have the child become upset.

Llewellyn-Thomas began asking the victim why his son was scared of him, and pushed her while she was holding the child.

"As she was walking away the defendant yelled out: I've already scoped out your backyard."

Judge Cameron said he had an "unenviable" criminal history with a number of previous convictions for violence.

He sentenced Llewellyn-Thomas to six months imprisonment with standard release conditions.