Victim thought she would die among graves

A woman who suffered a prolonged and brutal assault by her boyfriend in a cemetery believed she was going to die among the headstones.

The woman had been the partner of Napier man Matthew Fuller.

The assault occurred in November last year when the pair were in Ha¯ wera for the tangi of one of the woman’s family members, held at Rangatapu Marae.

After the tangi, the couple attended a party in Ha¯ wera, where they consumed a lot of alcohol.

Some time that night Fuller, 28, drove the woman to the Hawera cemetery.

When she got out of the car, Fuller hit her on the back of her head. She blacked out and fell to the ground in the cemetery. She had a cut to her head and a large amount of blood in her mouth and on her face.

Fuller continued to punch and kick her all over her body before trying to choke her.

The victim blacked out and, according to a court summary of facts, believed that she was going to die.

She tried to get away from him but could not because of the pain in her leg. Fuller continued assaulting her, pulling her along the ground.

When she tried to stand up, he struck her back to the ground.

He yelled abuse at her and took her phone.

She begged Fuller to call an ambulance but he refused and left the cemetery.

The woman clambered over a fence and hid in tall grass.

Fuller returned and yelled out that if she did not get in the car he would return to Hawke’s Bay without her.

The victim made her way to him and they drove back towards Hawke’s Bay.

On the trip home, Fuller became sympathetic and worried about the consequences of what he had done.

To avoid problems with family after the tangi, the woman and Fuller said she had been assaulted by people in Hawera.

The woman’s injuries included a fractured lower leg, two black eyes, bruising to her face, chest, forearms, thigh, buttocks, hip, back and feet, a cut to her head and grazes all over her body.

Fuller appeared in Napier District Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to three charges of injuring with intent to injure and one of male assaults female.

He was remanded in custody to appear for sentencing in December.