Child in middle of attack on mum

A Timaru man assaulted his partner while carrying his 18-month-old daughter on his shoulder.

An argument between Reon Jeffery Hughes and his partner of two years escalated when he pushed her into a wall hard enough to leave a dent, before grabbing their sleeping baby and leaving the house.

Her attempts to take the baby back were met with punches and kicks, police prosecutor Sergeant Ian Howard said in a summary of facts presented to the Timaru District Court.

After Howard withdrew a charge of assault within a family relationship, Hughes, 39, pleaded guilty to assaulting with intent to injure when he appeared before Judge Joanna Maze on Thursday.

The defendant spat food at his partner during an argument at her address about 10pm on September 4, 2019.

He shoved her multiple times down the hallway, Howard said.

‘‘The defendant followed the complainant into the lounge and while she was phoning police, he pushed her,

Police prosecutor Ian Howard

damaging the wall.’’

Uplifting their daughter from her bedroom and slinging her over his shoulder, he walked outside.

‘‘The defendant pushed the complainant into the fence while she made attempts to get their child back,’’ Howard said.

The victim continued following Hughes down the street, prompting him to whip round and shove her against a parked car.

The court heard that Hughes kicked her in the stomach three times before walking away, only to turn back and punch her.

‘‘He . . . punched her on the left side of the face, near her cheek bone, using a closed fist,’’ Howard said.

‘‘The defendant continued to walk down the street with the complainant following him. Again he turned around and approached the complainant for a third time, grabbing her by the hair,’’ he said.

The assault saw the victim suffer bruising beside her temple on the left side of her head, two red marks on her stomach, and a graze on the knuckle of her left thumb.

Judge Maze remanded Hughes on bail for sentencing on August 13, ordering a pre-sentence report with appendices and for restorative justice to be explored.

‘‘The defendant pushed the complainant into the fence while she made attempts to get their child back.’’