Three years’ jail time for drunken attacks
A MAN who got drunk and attacked his expartner and her granddaughter bit a Good Samaritan who came to their aid, a court has heard.
Peter Anthony Moffat (50) was jailed for three years when he came before the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
Just before the outset of his judgealone trial, he pleaded guilty to three counts of injuring with intent to injure, one of injuring with reckless disregard and one of possessing a knife.
Moffat was drinking in a pub near his former partner’s Caversham home on May 23, Judge Kevin Phillips said.
When he turned up at the house intoxicated, the woman asked him to leave. Moffat flew into a rage and punched her in the head, grabbed her phone and smashed it outside.
He threatened his exgirlfriend with a tool before slamming her into the kitchen bench, leaving her ‘‘dazed’’.
While in the room, he slipped a kitchen knife into his belt and left the property.
The victim’s 16yearold granddaughter followed him next door — and she got the same treatment.
Moffat punched her in the shoulder then struck her in the face with his knee numerous times, ‘‘leaving her on the point of unconsciousness’’.
When the grandmother intervened, she was punched again.
Hearing the disturbance, the neighbour on whose property the scuffle took place came to the victim’s rescue.
He wrestled Moffat to the ground but as they tussled the defendant sank his teeth into the man’s hand.
The ‘‘gory’’ wound required four stitches to close it up, the court heard.
But it did not stop the neighbour restraining the defendant until police arrived.
They found the kitchen knife
at the scene and later, when they searched Moffat at the station, they found a Stanley knife on him, too.
Counsel Noel Rayner highlighted his client’s history of depression and anxiety and said he pleaded guilty to save the victims the stress of giving evidence at trial.
As well as the prison term, Judge Kevin Phillips imposed a protection order in favour of Moffat’s expartner.
The defendant did not oppose it.