Trespassed man in court for stealing smokes, cash and assaulting woman

Ratahi grabbed the woman around her neck with his left arm, applying pressure and placing her in a headlock.

A man snatched a packet of cigarettes from his victim, and refused to give them - or the $135 in cash hidden in the packet - back.

When his victim tried to get the money and smokes back, Geoffrey Brian Ratahi, 29, assaulted her, a court heard.

Ratahi had turned up at 6.30am at the victim’s home in Opunake on February 1, a place he was trespassed from on December 12, police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Hickey said.

Ratahi knocked on the windows trying to get the attention of the occupants, who were asleep.

The victim went outside to have a smoke and tell Ratahi to leave, but as she went to take a cigarette from the packet, Ratahi grabbed it off her.

He refused to give it back but remained at the address until the victim’s father intervened, Hickey said.

About an hour later, after the victim’s parents had left and she was alone there with her children, Ratahi returned.

The woman went outside and asked him to return her money and cigarettes.

Instead, Ratahi grabbed the woman around her neck with his left arm, applying pressure and placing her in a headlock.

He then attempted to pull her legs into his vehicle with his right hand, but she kicked and screamed and he let her go.

Early the next morning, the victim went with her father to Ratahi’s house to try and collect her smokes and money, but the two began to argue and Ratahi grabbed her around the shoulder area with both hands and threw her on to the floor.

The assault only stopped when her father intervened.

Ratahi appeared in Ha¯ wera District Court for sentencing on Wednesday.

He previously admitted two charges of wilful trespass, two of male assaults female and one of theft.

Lawyer Julian Hanam said Ratahi had received 13 emails and four letters from the victim while he had been in custody.

These expressed her deep and abiding love for him and her hope he would be released soon.

‘‘He is well aware of the pitfalls that lurk in the relationship once he is released,’’ Hanam said.

Judge Chris Sygrove said the victim had not received any lasting injury.

‘‘This is almost at the level of nuisance offending, although family violence is never nuisance offending, but this is at the lower end.’’

He sentenced him to a total of four and a half months home detention at Rahotu with six months of post release conditions.

‘‘Keep your fists to yourself in future,’’ he said.