Man jailed for strangling, assaulting partner

A man who strangled his partner several times, and told her she was lucky he didn’t kill her since she made him so angry, has been jailed for nearly four years.

William Laurence Teanini, who turns 36 next week, was sentenced in the New Plymouth District Court yesterday having admitted four family violence charges, including two of impeding breathing, and one of escaping police.

According to a Crown summary of facts, Teanini, who has 48 previous convictions, including nine for family violence, and the victim had been at a birthday party in Opunake in 2018.

When he drove her home, an argument started and Teanini struck her in the jaw.

The victim yelled for him to stop the vehicle, but he followed her, grabbing her by the throat.

The victim lost consciousness and fell backwards into a bush.

About two months later,

Teanini became paranoid she was cheating on him.

He held a pillow over her face, applying so much pressure she could not breathe, and told her: ‘‘You’re lucky I don’t kill you; you make me that angry.’’

Another time, he accused her of being unfaithful, lifted her by her throat against the kitchen wall, and said: ‘‘Why do you always make me so jealous?’’

Her feet were not touching the ground, she could not breathe and she became light-headed.

After releasing her, he asked: that ‘‘Why do you make me do this?’’

He took exception to her answer, grabbed her by the throat again, and afterwards in their room put her in a choker hold.

She struggled to get her breathing back into rhythm for the next hour and found it hard to swallow or cough for three weeks.

On another occasion, Teanini received Facebook messages alleging the victim had been contacting another male.

He tried to head-butt her, and then punched her jaw, telling her: ‘‘You are going to make me hurt you’’. He added: ‘‘I might just kill you one day, you never know.’’

She later went to police, and when officers tried to arrest him, he ran off and tried to climb a fence into Yarrow Stadium but was apprehended.

Judge Gregory Hikaka noted Teanini’s childhood included violence and alcohol, but also considered his lack of remorse.

Hikaka jailed Teanini for three years and nine months, telling him he could not go on as an adult thinking that he had ‘‘an excuse for bad behaviour’’.