Victim suffered ‘shocking abuse’

A woman was knocked unconscious, dragged by her hair and had a shotgun pointed at her during an incident of ‘‘shocking’’ domestic abuse.

In April, Taranaki man Tenapi Crean was taken into custody after he tracked down his ex-partner and seriously assaulted her.

On Monday, Crean was sentenced in the New Plymouth District Court on eight charges after previously pleading guilty to injuring with intent to injure, male assaults female, unlawful possession and presentation of a firearm and four breaches of a protection order.

The summary of facts detailed the actions which Judge Garry Barkle described as ‘‘shocking abuse’’.

About 7.30am on April 14, Crean began to repeatedly call the victim. He had been caring for the children, aged one, four and six, overnight while his ex-partner had been out socialising with friends.

When she did not pick up his calls, Crean packed the children into the car about 10.50am and drove to the address where she was staying.

After finding her, the defendant yelled at the woman before telling her to get into the car.

She refused and walked away but Crean pursued her and punched the victim in the head, a blow which knocked her out.

Crean then grabbed her hair and dragged her along the footpath and bundled her into the vehicle. At this point she regained consciousness.

He drove the woman to her parents’ home in Waitara, north Taranaki and yelled at her to get out of the car.

Crean went into the house to get her parents and then returned to the car and hauled the woman out. He then punched her several more times about the head.

At this stage, the couple’s children got out of the car and went inside. The victim’s father also intervened and pulled Crean off of his daughter.

Crean then went to the boot of the car and took out a sawn-off shotgun, held it out and threatened to shoot the victim. He then put the gun back into the car and drove off before being arrested.

As a result of the assault, the victim suffered a cut lip, a bruised left eye and swelling to her face.

While on remand in prison, Crean twice asked his brother to make contact with the victim and also sent a letter to the victim’s home which had been addressed to his children. These actions were in direct breach of the protection order, which had been in place since April 2016.

At Crean’s sentencing hearing, lawyer Megan Boyd said his probation report had been ‘‘very positive’’.

‘‘It records that Mr Crean has a significantly changed attitude,’’ she said. This included a commitment to his job in Taupo¯ as well as successfully steering clear of alcohol.

She submitted a sentence of home detention was appropriate and sought a reduction on Crean’s final sentence to reflect the two months he had spent in prison on remand and the additional five month period he had been on electronically monitored bail.

Judge Barkle said Crean should regard his conduct on April 14 as the ‘‘low point’’ of his life and he acknowledged that the defendant had made significant strides since then, which persuaded him to impose a sentence of home detention.

The judge said Crean now had good support and structure in his life and he hoped the 26-year-old continued to make the necessary changes to become a ‘‘worthwhile’’ role model for his children.

Crean was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention.

The judge said Crean now had good support and structure in his life and he hoped the 26-year-old continued to make the necessary changes to become a "worthwhile" role model for his children.