Woman’s jaw broken in attack

A GOLD Coast painter coward punched his former partner so hard she was left with a fractured jaw that needed to be wired shut for six weeks.

Ihaia Hayden Raharuhi Te Huia threw the single punch with no warning while the woman was kneeling putting groceries away in a cupboard on February 3 last year.

She managed to escape further attacks by running to her car and driving herself to her father’s home. While she was gone Raharuhi Te Huia slashed her clothes and smashed her phone.

After police caught up with him, the 22-year-old tried to call the woman 67 times in 24 hours despite bail conditions ordering no contact.

The pair had been in a fiveyear relationship which had dissolved months before the attack.

Raharuhi Te Huia pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Tuesday to grievous bodily harm, wilful damage and breaching bail.

Judge David Kent sentenced him to two years prison to be released on parole on November 3.

“It was an unprovoked blow struck to a defenceless person who was not expecting anything,” he said.

Raharuhi Te Huia had spent seven days in pre-sentence custody.

Crown prosecutor Gary Churchill described the punch as “cowardly”.

“She was on her knees, unprepared and it caused her serious injuries,” he said.

Defence barrister Chris Minnery said the relationship had been “toxic and volatile”.

“He was suffering a depressive episode at the time,” he said.

Mr Minnery said Raharuhi Te Huia had changed his medication since the incident and was doing much better.

“He has done everything he can to ensure that set of circumstances does not happen again,” he said. The court was told it was not clear if Raharuhi Te Huia would be deported back to New Zealand.