Spurned boyfriend made attack on ex

A DUNEDIN man went after his exboyfriend with a broken bottle after finding him with a new partner, a court has heard.

The 37yearold appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday where he was granted name suppression to protect the identity of the victim.

Judge David Saunders said the two men had been in a relationship for some years and identifying the defendant could out his expartner.

The court heard the longterm relationship fell apart in December 2016 but the pair initially remained friends and lived together for several months.

Things deteriorated in November 2017, two months after the cohabitation ended.

The defendant went to the victim’s new home and smashed two plastic chairs at the rear of the property.

When his exboyfriend got home with his new man, the aggression was turned on him.

The defendant took a broken glass bottle, scratched it across a window of the house and met the victim in the driveway.

He pushed him against the wall with his forearm while trying to jab the jagged shard into the man’s stomach.

The victim managed to hold him off and slipped away to the safety of the house.

By the time police arrived, the defendant’s mood was still black.

It took several requests by officers for him to drop the bottle but it did not mark a change in demeanour.

The defendant attempted to headbutt one of the constables before twice kicking another in the leg.

‘‘None of the victims sustained any injuries during this incident. However, two police officers had blood smeared on exposed skin during the arrest procedure,’’ the court heard.

‘‘The police officers had to be tested as a result.’’

The man met his expartner at a restorative justice conference once the dust had settled, during which he apologised and promised to let the man move on with his life.

Judge Saunders said the defendant was having ‘‘great difficulties’’ at the time, which eventually resulted in him spending time in a mentalhealth ward.

Acknowledging the man had spent a lengthy period on electronically monitored bail, he sentenced him to 12 months’ supervision and 120 hours’ community work.

A protection order was granted on behalf of the victim.