Nine months’ jail for protection order breach

A Cannons Creek man was invited to visit a woman who had a protection order against him, but was jailed after the evening ended with him wielding a knife.

Peter John Kelly, 51, a painter, was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment in Porirua District Court last Tuesday.

He was convicted of breach of a protection order, breach of prison release conditions and possession of a knife.

Kelly’s victim was in court to support him.

The pair have been close friends for 18 years, but she took out a protection order against him in 2008.

On October 19, the woman invited Kelly to her house in Cannons Creek. He turned up drunk, and the victim and her brother-in-law were also drinking at the house.

An argument began between Kelly and the brother-in-law, who threatened him, Kelly’s lawyer Sarah Pettett said.

‘‘His actions with the knife were in response to that.’’

Kelly went to the kitchen and grabbed a bread knife, which he began waving around.

It was by no means the worst breach of a protection order the court had seen, Ms Pettett told Judge John Walker.

Kelly was not committed to getting help for his drinking – he believed it would take too much time and travel to attend, Ms Pettett said.

Visiting the victim’s house broke Kelly’s prison release conditions to be home between 8pm and 7am, Judge Walker said.

‘‘[The conditions were] clearly designed to stop just this exact situation,’’ he said.

‘‘You ended up being restrained. As a result you were told to leave. You refused, and went to the kitchen, armed yourself with a bread knife and waved it around.’’

Kelly had seven previous convictions for breach of a