Catholic woman comes clean in court

A woman who accused her partner of assault has changed her story on the witness stand, claiming she could not lie while under oath as she was Catholic.

She told police her partner at the time, Hemi Smith, 22, of Blenheim, choked her during a fight.

But the woman changed her story at the Blenheim District Court on Thursday, saying bruises on her neck were from Smith trying to defend himself while she punched him.

She gave evidence at Smith’s judge-alone trial after he denied a charge of assault with intent to injure.

The couple had argued at a party, and the woman wanted to leave but Smith wanted to use her car, the woman said. They fought over the car and the woman, an amateur boxer, started punching him ‘‘a dozen times, maybe more’’ to the face and chest, she said.

Smith, trained in martial arts, was becoming frustrated and kept pushing her away, but did not hit her, she admitted in court.

He tried to get into her car, but the woman jumped into the driver’s seat and drove home. Smith arrived at her house shortly afterwards, she said. She told him to get off her property and started punching him, while Smith tried to push her away, she said.

‘‘I had thrown a good right hook that really stunned him,’’ she said. Smith put his hands on her throat, not to choke her, but to fend her off, the woman told the court.

The woman’s statement to police was very different to the account she told the court, the police prosecutor said. ’’Today I’m swearing on the Bible, and I’m a baptised Catholic, so yeah, I can’t lie about it,’’ the woman said.

‘‘On that day, I was very upset that my boyfriend had been screwing his ex, and he’d damaged my car.’’

The charge was dismissed. The police prosecutor said afterwards it was unlikely charges would be laid against the woman for assault or making a false statement to police.