Man assaulted girl over missing cellphone

A man who slapped an 11-year-old girl in the face and gave her a nosebleed because he believed she'd taken his cellphone has been sentenced to community work.

Tere Joseph pleaded guilty to assault on a child in the Whanganui District Court on Tuesday.

Joseph told police he didn't mean to hit the victim's nose - "he only intended to hit her around the ears as she needed to wake up and stop stealing from him and her family", police prosecutor Sergeant Drew Morrison said.

Defence lawyer Stephen Ross said Mr Joseph, originally from the Cook Islands, had lived in New Zealand for 25 years.

"He does have a history, a quite serious history," said Mr Ross.

"However, he does instruct me that none of those previous convictions relate to incidents with children. This isn't something he engages in.

"He is aware he shouldn't be assaulting children this way."

Mr Ross said his client was not suitable for heavy, physical community work as he had lost half of one of his feet to diabetes.

Judge Cameron sentenced Joseph to 50 hours' community work.