First strike for ‘coward’ who assaulted woman
After holding a pitchfork under a woman’s jaw, Trevor Bradley Mackie held her by the throat and said: ‘‘I could kill you if I want.’’
In the course of the long assault, the 21-year-old joinery apprentice threatened, punched, slapped, choked, kneed, kicked and stomped on the woman, and dragged her by the hair.
Christchurch District Court Judge Tony Couch noted that Mackie did all this ‘‘because she did not want to have sex with you’’. The woman received a cut to her hand, concussion, swelling to the back of her head, swelling to her jaw, abrasions on her back, injuries to her left foot and both arms, and strains to her pelvic area and neck muscles.
Mackie was jailed for two years and six months for the December 16 incident after he admitted charges of assault with intent to injure, assault with a weapon, threatening to kill and indecent assault.
He had removed the woman’s clothing during the assault.
Judge Couch described it as ‘‘extreme violence’’ and issued Mackie with a first-strike warning that imposes harsher sentences on repeat violent offenders. He added to Mackie’s sentence because of his 2017 convictions for assaulting and threatening another woman.
Defence counsel Clayton Williams said Mackie took full responsibility. His client had said: ‘‘I have deep remorse for the victim of my cowardly assault.’’
Mackie had been keen to meet the victim at a restorative justice conference, but it had not been arranged. He asked for a home detention sentence to be considered, but was realistic in accepting that prison was likely.
Judge Couch said the incident happened after Mackie had become drunk at a work function and had been taken to his home. He said the woman had been a vulnerable victim. ‘‘She had gone to your home trusting that you would treat her decently, but it is hard to imagine a more gross breach of trust.’’