Spurned woman sat on expartner

A DUNEDIN woman who was desperate to rekindle a romance with a former flame sat on the man ‘‘for a considerable period of time’’, a court has heard.

Kathleen Irianui SelbyTodd (38) is a larger build than her expartner, according to court documents, and her actions prevented him from leaving the couch.

The woman appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday on two counts of assault.

On January 7, SelbyTodd went to the victim’s Hazel Ave address.

Their threemonth relationship had recently ended but the defendant had plans to turn that around.

Her former partner insisted, however, that it was over.

Events then took an unusual twist.

‘‘The defendant was unhappy with this and while he was sitting on a couch she has climbed on top and knelt on top of him, pinning him down and preventing him from getting up,’’ a police summary said.

‘‘Whilst holding him down, the defendant continued to tell [the victim] she wanted their relationship to resume.’’

Their size disparity meant the man was unable to move Selby-Todd but he eventually pulled his phone from his pocket and called his father.

When he arrived, the man freed his son from the couch.

The agitated defendant reacted by pushing him with two hands towards the back door of the house.

When the man tried to call police, SelbyTodd twice snatched the cellphone away.

Police, concerned at the brief hangup calls, attended the scene and found the defendant nearby.

SelbyTodd told them she just wanted to get back together with the victim.

Defence counsel Sophia Thorburn said her client had been diagnosed with a mild intellectual disability and was receiving support in the community.

Judge Michael Crosbie asked SelbyTodd if, on reflection, she viewed her behaviour as appropriate.

‘‘No it was not,’’ she said.

‘‘I could’ve found another way of dealing with my anger.’’

Ms Thorburn said SelbyTodd now accepted the relationship was ‘‘well and truly over’’ and had apologised to the father and son at a restorative justice conference.

The judge said the victims had been shaken up by the incident initially but had since moved on.

He imposed a ninemonth suspended sentence on SelbyTodd.

❛Whilst holding him down, the defendant continued to tell [the victim] she wanted their relationship to resume❜