Dixon was convicted in the Gore District Court on Wednesday of assaulting Mrs Paterson and her 16-year-old daughter at their home in Mataura on May 15.
Mrs Paterson said yesterday the key message she wanted to get out to people was that it was all right to report domestic violence and it was "OK to stand up for yourself".
"I can't change what has happened, but hopefully I can change someone else's life down the track. The cycles need to be broken," Mrs Paterson said.
"I want something positive to come out of it," she said.
The incident had had an emotional impact on Mrs Paterson and her daughter.
She had not been going out as much since the incident, she said. Staying in familiar environments was a way of protecting herself and her daughter emotionally, Mrs Paterson said.
"In my case, it's more about protecting my daughter." Mrs Paterson said her main concern was any long-term emotional harm to her daughter.
She was grateful for the support of family and friends.
"I'm very, very lucky." Speaking after his court appearance, Dixon said the incident had taken an emotional toll on him.
He had started smoking again after quitting for three years and had difficulty sleeping.
However, he had received "great" support from Mataura residents, friends and his employer, Bruce McDonough, who had let him stay at his home after he was grantedbail.
Looking back on what had happened, Dixon said he also wanted to use his experience to help people who might find themselves in a similar position.
He encouraged people to look at what was happening in their relationships and take action before a situation got out of control.
He advised people to seek the help of a trained counsellor if there was any hint of problems arising.
"See a counsellor. You're not weak. Do it to try and save yourself," Dixon said.
"I'm absolutely gutted by what's happened. You don't have a four-year relationship without feelings being involved."
Dixon, who also works part-time as a bouncer, said in the many years in the job he had never "had to hit anyone".
The experience had highlighted for him the need for a halfway house in the Gore district for men needing somewhere to go when bailed by the court.
He was investigating the possibility of setting up a halfway house in conjunction with social agencies in the district.
Counselling services would need to be available for people staying at the halfway house, he said.
"It would be very easy for people to crawl into a bottle [if they were not given professional help]," he said.
"It's very hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel for a start, but there is a light down there."
He said he would not be resigning as a councillor.
Gore Mayor Tracy Hicks said he thought Dixon should resign from the council and put himself forward again in a by-election.
That way, the community could decide if it wanted him to continue as a councillor.
However, there was no legal reason why he should stand down from the council, Mr Hicks said.
