Stratuss-Lee Svensson, 33, appeared in the Dunedin District Court on Tuesday after earlier admitting a raft of charges, including two assaults on his partner.
Judge Nevin Dawson described the attacks as ‘‘cowardly’’ and jailed the defendant for two years and two months.
The court heard that Svensson locked the victim out of their home on July 9 last year because she called police.
He later unlocked the door before charging at the woman and striking her from behind, causing her to ‘‘somersault’’ on to the front lawn and lose consciousness, a police summary said.
Svensson left the victim there, but three months later he was back at the house.
When the woman refused to let him inside, he kicked the door in.
The woman called police, but Svensson picked her up and threw her on to the kitchen floor before grabbing her by the collar of her cardigan and slamming her into the floor repeatedly.
Police later found the defendant at a Mosgiel petrol station and told him he was under arrest and he needed to stay where he was, but he sped away.
Inside his car, police found 8.5g of cannabis and a glass pipe.
A blood test revealed a reading of 170ng of methamphetamine per ml of blood — more than three times the high-risk level.
The victim suffered two hairline fractures to her forearm, a dislocated shoulder and swelling and bruising because of the assaults.
Yesterday, counsel John Westgate argued his client should be sentenced to home detention given he had ‘‘not put a foot wrong’’ while on electronically monitored bail.
Svensson’s drug addiction contributed to the offending, but he had since engaged in counselling, the lawyer said.
Judge Dawson, though, ruled prison was the appropriate outcome.
‘‘It’s cowardly for men to beat up women,’’ the judge said.
‘‘It’s something you should be utterly ashamed of.’’
The defendant told a Probation officer he was not a criminal, he had ‘‘only made this one mistake’’.
The judge disagreed and highlighted Svensson had previously been convicted of violent offending and was quick to blame the victim for his crimes.
‘‘This is far from a new or unusual offence for you,’’ the judge said.
‘‘Whatever problem you have, violence makes it worse. You don’t seem to be getting that message.’’
Svensson was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.
