Man repeatedly pinned partner to fence with car

William Emery drove his car at the partner he’d just argued with, pinning her to a wire fence four times.

He revved the engine to frighten her, saying ‘‘get in the vehicle, or I will run you over’’.

His partner suffered broken fingernails, a court decision says, and the pair are no longer together.

On the day of the offending, September 18, 2020, he pushed her out of the vehicle before driving away, but turned back and ‘‘pushed her into the fence with the car four times’’.

William Steven Emery pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon and, in February 2021, was sentenced to nine months in prison.

Home detention was ruled out because Emery, a wheelchair user, has one leg amputated above the knee, which made fitting an electronic bracelet for home detention impractical.

But Emery appealed the sentence at the High Court at Hamilton, and a judge agreed prison time was too severe.

Instead, Justice Neil Campbell imposed a year of intensive supervision, saying Emery will ‘‘in a practical sense, spend a great deal of time confined to his residence’’.

That’s because of his ‘‘range of serious medical conditions’’, and because he’s disqualified from driving for eight months and has limited mobility.

While Emery’s offending was serious, he has separated from his partner and assessed as being at low risk of reoffending, Justice Campbell wrote.

‘‘Mr Emery has limited mobility, and lived alone prior to his sentencing.

‘‘He also has a range of serious medical conditions . . . ‘‘Indeed, at the hearing of the appeal I was informed that Mr Emery is currently in hospital.’’