A 21-year-old Mosgiel man has been jailed for three years and eight months for sustained violence and threats against his teenage partner and baby son.
Brendon Russell Fred McLeod was sentenced by Judge Michael Crosbie in the Dunedin District Court today on eight charges of assaulting, and threatening his partner during their two-year relationship, two charges of assaulting his three-month-old baby son, and one of threatening to injure his partner's mother.
The defendant was wearing sunglasses because of burn injuries suffered in a ''huffing'' accident several years ago.
Today the court was told of the level of violence and threats made by McLeod.
Between early December 2014 and June 19 last year, McLeod pointed an air rifle at his six months pregnant partner and pulled the trigger. The gun was not loaded but the young woman thought she was going to die.
He followed her to the laundry where she ran to hide, threw her to the floor and kicked her in the back about six times as she lay there, the court was told.
On December 12 in 2014, he grabbed the pregnant young woman in a stranglehold from behind when she was looking for him after he left a friend's place, angry and intoxicated. The stranglehold made it hard for her to breathe.
Between March and April last year, he tried to smother their baby, the court was told. McLeod had been drinking and the baby was on a couch between him and his partner. He pulled a blanket up over the baby's head then put his hand over the baby's face, stopping when his partner yelled at him.
Also in March or April last year, McLeod suddenly grabbed his partner by the neck from behind, pulling her neck backwards, and telling her he could kill her, that he wanted her dead. His action caused the victim intense pain.
During an argument on June 2 when he was drinking, McLeod punched his partner in the face, ripping a piercing in her left cheek and causing it to bleed. A week later, he became angry when the baby was unsettled and slapped him on the face as the victim was trying to comfort the child.
A series of assaults and threats occurred on June 19, after the victim suggested McLeod sleep in another room because of his level of intoxication. Without warning, he punched her in the face, a set of keys in his fist cutting her mouth. She was afraid and ran from the room to go downstairs for help.
McLeod grabbed her by her top, pushed her against a door, threatening her. He then threatened her mother who was trying to intervene, backing her into a corner and threatening to smash her face in, the court was told.
When another family member telephoned police, the defendant told his partner he would kill her if she talked to them.
The young woman was in tears today as she read her statement in court, describing McLeod's Jekyll and Hyde personality, exacerbated by his use of alcohol, his violent and controlling behaviour and how he had isolated her from her friends.
She said she still had flashbacks, had issues trusting people and was very afraid he would hurt their child if allowed access.
Sentencing McLeod, Judge Crosbie condemned his cruel and excessively violent behaviour and the serious breaches of trust involved.
The defendant had a duty to his partner and baby son to care and protect them, the judge said. Instead he had abused, assaulted and threatened the young woman and assaulted his son.
On the air rifle and kicking charges, Judge Crosbie sentenced McLeod to two years and three months' jail, with a concurrent four months for the stranglehold assault.
To that 27 months were added concurrent terms of six months for the two March and April assaults, three months for the June 2 and June 9 assaults and eight months for the June 19 assaults and threats.
