Oamaru District Court

A WAITAKI man read his expartner’s cellphone messages without her consent and flew into a violent rage.

Craig Ivan Bardwell (34) verbally abused his victim when she was breastfeeding their child, and then punched her in the face, leaving her bruised, concussed and unable to move her jaw for three days.

His victim faced nine months of physiotherapy, depression, extreme dizzy spells and permanent double vision.

Bardwell’s victim read out her victim impact statement in the Oamaru District Court this week before Judge Joanna Maze sentenced Bardwell to 40 hours’ community service and six months’ supervision and ordered him to pay $2815 in reparations on male assaults female and wilful damage charges stemming from the November 19, 2018, incident.

Bardwell’s expartner remained composed for the majority of the victim impact statement, including when she told the court she had recently been diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder, but she became emotional when expressing her concern for her daughter, who was only 6 months old at the time of the assault.

A police summary of facts said the man came to the victim’s home to talk to her about reconciliation.

They spoke in her lounge for an hour and ahalf, but when she left the room to breastfeed their daughter, Bardwell accessed her cellphone without her permission.

He looked through her Instagram messages and saw a ‘‘platonic text conversation between the victim and a male friend’’, the summary said.

Bardwell then entered the victim’s bedroom, where she was breastfeeding their child, and claimed she had cheated on him, calling her a ‘‘f ****** slut’’.

After putting down the child and following him back into the lounge, she discovered Bardwell had smashed her two cellphones, which contained photos of their daughter. The victim became upset and he assaulted her.

‘‘During the assault the victim raised her arms to try and protect herself, while the defendant continued to swear at her,’’ the summary said.

‘‘The victim said to the defendant: ‘Do you know what you have done? That’s all our baby’s photos, her whole life’. The defendant replied, ‘I don’t care’.’’

When speaking to police, Bardwell admitted smashing the cellphones, but denied the assault. When shown photographs of the bruising around the victim’s eye, he said she must have fallen. The other injuries, he claimed,

‘‘must be selfinflicted’’.

Other convictions

Srishtika Shiwangani, (27), caregiver, of Oamaru, drinkdriving, 142mg, Thames St, Oamaru, October 19, fined $500, analyst fees $111.25, disqualified six months.

• John Andrew Muir (75), of Palmerston, drinkdriving, 652mcg, third or subsequent drinkdrive conviction (previous convictions in 1999, and 2004), State Highway 1, July 25, fined $650, disqualified 12 months and one day. Judge Joanna Maze noted his decision not to continue to drive, and that the NZ Transport Agency would not issue another licence.

• Robert James Campbell (52), Oamaru North, failed to stop for lights and sirens, Thames Highway, Oamaru, August 26, fined $250.

• Cameron Maurice Small (19), Hakataramea Valley, farm worker, drinkdriving, 476mcg, Whakatu Dr, Nelson, September 28 (previous convictions in 2017, 2018), 28day interlock sentence, 40 hours’ community work.

• Cyril Allan Ainger (76), contractor, of Oamaru, drinkdriving, 523mcg, Tyne St, Oamaru, October 2, fined $350, disqualified six months.

• Brodie John Findlay (25), of Oamaru, sustained loss of traction, Churchill St, Kaikoura, September 21, fined $250, disqualified six months.