A man has admitted nearly hacking off someone's hand with a machete at Taieri Mouth during a domestic argument, but the court heard the result could have been far worse.
The 33-year-old appeared before the Dunedin District Court this morning where he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to do GBH and male assaults female.
Crown prosecutor Richard Smith offered no evidence on a charge of attempted murder and it was dismissed by Justice Gerald Nation.
The judge declined an application to continue name suppression but suppressed the reasons for why secrecy was sought.
The defendant's identity can now be revealed as Australian father-of-two Shaan Roker.
The court today heard the defendant had recently returned to New Zealand and was temporarily living with his ex-partner at Taieri Mouth on the morning of February 21.
The pair began arguing about the man's alleged drug use and the victim started to move his belongings outside.
Roker struck her head with his elbow and then hit her with an open hand causing bruising to her face, Mr Smith said.
Two hours later, the victim's father came home, saw her injuries and confronted the defendant, telling him to leave the property.
Roker began “ranting” about who was at fault then attacked his ex-partner's father.
He managed to block the initial blow and the pair tussled on the floor of the lounge and the victim eventually gained the upper hand.
Roker ran from the house to where his belongings had been piled, at the bottom of some steps.
“He removed a large machete from his belongings, raised it above his head and ran at both victims who had followed him down the landing,” a summary said.
Roker aimed his blow at the man's head but he raised his left arm to block it.
“The machete sliced through the victim's arm severing it just above the left wrist,” the court heard.
The female victim shielded her father from further injury and took him inside to the bathroom.
She tried to hold a door closed to prevent Roker gaining access but he smashed a door's glass panel using the machete.
However, when he reached the bathroom and saw the damage he had caused, the defendant “calmed down” and provided first aid, which included applying a tourniquet to stem the blood flow.
The court heard how the 60-year-old man required “extensive surgery” and the long-term prognosis was unknown.
In interviews with the police, Roker claimed he had grabbed the machete because he was fearful of the man.
He expressed “extreme remorse” the incident had occurred, the summary said.
Justice Nation granted a protection order in favour of both victims and gave Roker a first-strike warning.
He will be sentenced in July.