Mark Andrew Pine, 51, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after earlier pleading guilty to threatening behaviour, assault in a family relationship, assaulting police and resisting police.
The court heard that on September 10 the defendant got into an argument with his long-term partner at their Milton home.
Pine’s threatening manner frightened the woman, so she picked up a pitchfork, a police summary said.
The defendant hit her in the head causing her to fall to the ground before she got up and closed the bedroom door.
Pine tried to get into the bedroom, then grabbed a knife and stabbed the wall four times, leaving holes in the plasterboard beside the door.
When police arrived, Pine was sitting on the couch but quickly became combative, punching the flue of the fireplace and raising his fist at officers.
It took three officers to restrain the defendant before he was moved to the back of a patrol vehicle where he continued to resist police, using his feet to block the door from closing and kicking the interior lights.
He also head-butted the window, tried to do the same to an officer and made threats to slip from his handcuffs and attack them.
Police had to stop and restrain Pine multiple times on the journey.
Eventually he was transferred to a police custody van for the remainder of the trip.
Yesterday, the court heard Pine and the victim wished to continue their relationship.
Judge David Robinson said the defendant’s history showed a pattern of similar offending and it was concerning that weapons were involved in this incident.
Pine’s behaviour in the patrol vehicle would have been "distressing" for police who were far from support in Milton.
Judge Robinson sentenced Pine to nine months’ imprisonment.
Pine had previously been jailed after admitting a slew of charges, including following a woman with a chainsaw and throwing knives at police officers.
