Man attacks after charges dropped

A man who beat his former partner and threatened in front of their children to shoot her has been told to solve his anger problems to give his family a better life.

Chea Paratene Charles Brattle-hemara Haeana, who uses the surname Hemara, was sentenced in the Levin District Court yesterday to 13 months’ prison.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to charges including assault, wilful damage and breaching a protection order.

The offending started on May 22 last year, just five days after he had a charge of being an accessory to the murder of Palmiro Macdonald dismissed.

Hemara had been charged with being involved in fatally shooting Macdonald in March 2016, but the charge was downgraded before being dismissed.

Hemara drove to his expartner’s house, where she and their three children were, asking for a place to stay.

She let him sleep on the couch, but told him to leave after he got into her bed and tried to cuddle her.

He responded by getting on top of her and punching her multiple times.

She managed to grab her phone and flee, only going back in the house after he left. But she later heard a smash before Hemara once again attacked her.

The smashing was him ripping the rear door off, breaking glass in the process.

He then repeatedly breached a protection order, once by going to the property next to his expartner’s to speak to their children, and again by talking to them via Facebook Messenger video call.

The children regularly turned and spoke to their mother during the Messenger conversation, so he would have known she was there.

He told his children he would shoot their mother in front of everyone at a 21st birthday party. He later threatened his expartner’s mother similarly.

While reading her victim impact statement to the court, the ex-partner said the children were left terrified by Hemara’s actions.

She had considered moving away after he threatened to shoot her, but that would have taken her and her children away from family and study. ‘‘I feel I’m just going to be a statistic if [Hemara] is not dealt with and he doesn’t get treatment.’’

One of her children, who was getting professional help for what they suffered, had spoken about bravery being hiding their younger sibling in a cupboard while Hemara was violent.

‘‘She said, ‘It’s OK okay, because Dad is in prison now,’’’ the ex-partner said.

Judge Lance Rowe said Hemara’s anger came from somewhere in his past and acting like he did would pass it to his children. ‘‘Your children’s stories deserve to be different.’’

Hemara was well-versed in his whakapapa and other aspects of his Nga¯ ti Raukawa background, which his actions were in conflict with, the judge said. ‘‘I’m no expert, and it shouldn’t be me saying this to you, but family violence is not consistent with tikanga... and Raukawa.’’

Hemara must pay $363.50 reparation for the door.