Justice of the Peace Tangi Taoro sentenced a man to four months imprisonment for nine counts of assaulting a woman.

Christopher Tangatakino was further ordered to serve 12 months in probation attending counselling, not to consume alcohol and not to enter any liquor licensed premises after serving time at the Correction Services in Arorangi.

He was represented by defence counsel Michelle Tangimama.

The court heard that on the morning of Sunday, December 3, 2023, in Arorangi, Tangatakino assaulted the victim after she told him she did not want to get back with him and had a new boyfriend.

JP Taoro said the defendant became aggressive and assaulted her while she was on the bed with their seven-year-old child. The victim said that after she fell on the floor, he grabbed her by the neck and continued to punch and kick her.

When Tangatakino returned from the toilet, he had a stick and used it to strike the victim on her left forearm and again on her right bicep.

JP Taoro added that the victim needed to go to the toilet and when she walked past him, he pulled her back by the collar of her T-shirt, kicked her on her left and right thighs.

As a result, the victim received bruises to her right eye, left forearm and biceps, right arm, both thighs, and had a swollen forehead. Photos submitted by the police supported the details of the charges.

The particulars of the charges included kicking the victim on the thigh, punching her with both hands, squeezing her neck, punching her right arm, striking her right upper bicep with a stick, striking her left forearm with a stick, kicking her on the thigh, and kicking her head between the eyes.

Looking at Tangatakino’s previous police record, JP Taoro said the defendant had first appeared in court in May 2018 for a burglary charge. In 2019, he appeared in court 10 times on various criminal and traffic offences, including three charges of assault on a woman.

His last appearance was in October 2019 for charges of assault on a female, wilful damage, and assault on a police officer, where he was convicted and sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, followed by 12 months’ probation upon release.

JP Taoro said the defendant managed to stay out of the court system until last year.

Tangatakino did not disagree with the police summary of facts, but he also did not provide any comments except that he was ashamed of his actions and very remorseful.

“You admit to your wrongdoings, would like to apologise to the court and you plead to the court for leniency when passing sentence,” JP Taoro said.

Agreeing with the probation service recommendation for a custodial sentence, she said there was no medical report, but the photographs submitted by the police showed the seriousness of the injuries the victim sustained, especially around her eyes.

JP Taoro said the assault may have been provoked by the victim when she told him she no longer wanted to be with him, “but that is not an excuse for what you did to her”.

“What concerns the court though is the seriousness of the assaults that you imposed on the victim. Not only did you use your hands, your fists and feet, but you also used a stick.”

JP Taoro also said that the assault happening while the seven-year-old child was in the room was concerning, adding that the young child would have been crying and scared watching him assault his mother.

“Your child was at an age that he probably will not forget what he saw, not for a while anyway.”

In sentencing, JP Taoro said she did not put weight on the past court matter but more on the recent conviction of 2019.

She sentenced Tangatakino collectively on the nine charges and not individually with a starting point of six months imprisonment term. She gave a 33 per cent discount of two months for his early guilty pleas and convicted and sentenced him to four months imprisonment. He was also ordered to pay $250 court costs. 

JP Taoro warned Tangatakino that he knew the consequences if he appeared in court again on the same or on any other charges and advised him to prove to everyone that he could be a better person.