Woman bashed for filming abuse
Incensed by having his abuse recorded, a man tried to strangle his sister-in-law in an attempt to stop the filming.
Earlier this year, Blair Logan Ranford turned on the woman when she tried to film a fight between him and his girlfriend.
The New Plymouth District Court heard how the pair were at their Hawera home on February 24 when a verbal argument began.
Ranford’s partner called her sister and asked her to come over and pick her up.
After the woman arrived at the address, Ranford and his partner continued to argue in front of her.
Judge Peter Rollo said she then started to record the altercation on her cellphone, which angered Ranford.
He made an attempt to get the phone and then grabbed the woman around the throat and squeezed.
The two continued to struggle and then fell to the ground.
He said the victim tried to get away from Ranford, who made another attempt to forcibly remove the phone from her.
The 24-year-old previously pleaded guilty to male assaults female and appeared in court for sentencing on Tuesday.
Lawyer Kylie Pascoe said Ranford was ‘‘highly motivated’’ to attend counselling and knew he had over-stepped the mark with his violent reaction.
She said he had since tried to make amends with the victim and was willing to meet with her at a restorative justice meeting after he was sentenced.
Judge Rollo said the incident was Ranford’s third conviction for violent offending and it showed a propensity for him to turn physical when he failed to get his own way.
A concerning element of the crime was how Ranford had grabbed the victim around the throat, he said.
The judge accepted Ranford was no longer living with his girlfriend and had plans to relocate to Australia and find work in the building trade.
Ranford was sentenced to nine months’ supervision and ordered to pay $400 in emotional harm reparation to the victim.