Deliberately crashed car with family inside

A man who tried to injure his partner by unbuckling her seatbelt and driving their car into a line of lamp posts has been sentenced to jail for six years and nine months.

Peter John Orchard, 38, appeared in the High Court in Whangarei before Justice Matthew Downs on Wednesday, facing charges relating to the incident.

According to the sentence notes, Orchard was driving his family to Kerikeri in January when he became enraged over a text message his partner had received.

At the time, his partner was in the front passenger seat and his three young children were in the back seat.

‘‘You were upset by a text message your partner had received,’’ Justice Downs said.

‘‘The exact nature of the message is not set out in the summary of facts, which instead refers to a message concerning allegations about you.

‘‘But whatever its contents, you became very upset. You said: I don’t have anything to lose,’’ Justice Downs said.

Orchard then deliberately drove off the road into several road signs in an attempt to injure his partner.

In the process, he unbuckled her seatbelt to increase the chance of her suffering injuries.

‘‘You did not slow down. ‘‘You ensured the line of lamp posts was on your partner’s side of the car.

‘‘You ran the first two lamp posts down. The third caused your car to flip, and to rest on its passenger’s side.’’

After the car stopped, Orchard climbed out and then made an attempt to take his own life.

When passerbys tried to help him, he began spitting at them and kicked one person in the face.

‘‘I pause here to commend the bravery of the police officer and members of the public who came to your aid.

‘‘They helped you despite your violence. And, they put your safety before their own,’’ Justice Downs said.

Orchard’s partner was left unconscious and had to be cut free by emergency services.

‘‘Your partner suffered bruising all over her body. Fortunately, she was not more seriously injured. Your children were physically unharmed.’’

Justice Downs said Orchard turned the lamp posts and car into weapons against his partner.

‘‘...Your offending involved something of an attack to the head. To elaborate, by unbuckling your partner’s seatbelt, it was likely her head would sustain much of the impact.

‘‘You appreciated that. I ask, rhetorically, why else unbuckle it,’’ Justice Downs said.

As well as being sentenced to the jail term, Orchard was disqualified from driving for six months.