A man who had twice offended against a former partner, and threatened to harm himself in front of her, screamed with joy on his way to the cells after a third sentence was handed down.
Swade Teaitu Wallace, 21, yesterday appeared in the Whanganui District Court charged with two countsof breaching a protection order.
The court heard on May 25 he had gone to the home of a former partner and asked for his cellphone as he had lost it, but the victim claimed she did not know where it was. Wallace "turned the house upside down" looking for it, turning over beds and even pulling a computer to the floor.
The victim said she would call the police and Wallace said he would wait for them to arrive and "slit his throat" in front of them.
When defence counsel Stephen Ross told the court of this threat, Wallace smiled and laughed.
The day after that incident Wallace returned to the victim's address, again asking for his cellphone, and did not leave until the victim called the police.
Mr Ross emphasised the offending was of a psychological rather than physical nature, and said the victim later visited Wallace in prison and admitted she had taken the cellphone.
Judge David Cameron said Wallace had been convicted of two charges against the victim in November and a further seven earlier this year, including wilful damage, male assaults female and breaching protection orders.
Wallace was sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment on each charge, to be served concurrently, and when he was taken to the cells could be heard whooping and screaming.
