Joshua Thomas Dawkins, 35, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday where Judge David Robinson jailed him for 22 months, highlighting an "extensive" history of previous offending.
Anything short of imprisonment would send "entirely the wrong message to the community", he said.
Dawkins appeared in the same court in 2021 after selling $100,000 of cannabis in just four months, but was given home detention, primarily because of his efforts to turn his life around.
Judge Peter Rollo, at the time, remarked on the defendant’s "gumption" and held him up as an example of what people could do to right their course.
But the court heard yesterday that the change had not been sustained.
Police were called to Dawkins’ Balclutha home on September 5 following an episode of family violence, adding to an "appalling" record of such crimes.
The pair had argued after his then partner had spilled a can of lemonade on their bed, court documents detailed.
Dawkins hit the woman in the face a few times, causing a large bruise and swelling to her eye.
His problems compounded when police turned up.
After noticing a strong smell, officers searched the property and found 156g of cannabis, bagged and ready for sale, inside a bag within a wardrobe.
Dawkins claimed the drugs were for personal use, something he maintained even when interviewed by Probation before sentencing.
But the judge said his guilty plea to possessing the class-C drug for supply contradicted that stance.
In a statement, the victim said the relationship between them was over, but she voiced her support for Dawkins to be returned home to support her.
But Judge Robinson said reuniting the couple would be "a recipe for disaster".
The victim, he said, seemed at least partly motivated by her fears of homelessness because she could not pay the rent alone.
"Victims of domestic violence can be all too willing to sacrifice their safety to ensure that other means that they see as more pressing are met," the judge said.
"I’m really concerned that in large part her conciliatory statements are more about her needs which are contrary to her interests."
Counsel Brendan Stephenson stressed his client was suffering significant stress at the time and had been abusing opiate pain-relief medication which he had been prescribed.
The judge also acknowledged Dawkins had a difficult background, which had affected the trajectory of his life.
While Mr Stephenson argued for the defendant’s release on a sentence of intensive supervision, that was rejected.
"This was serious violence against a vulnerable person and there needs to be a deterrent message sent to you," Judge Robinson said.
A protection order was made in favour of the victim.
