A Dunedin man who poured a boiling drink over his then-partner grew up surrounded by violence, a court has heard.
Juthro Uriah Budweiser (32) was jailed for two years and four months when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after pleading guilty to repeated violence which covered more than two and a-half years.
The abuse of his then partner was uncovered in February last year following an incident at the defendant’s home.
After an argument, Budweiser punched the victim three times in the left side of the head, sending her to the floor. She covered her head with her hands and rolled into a ball to protect herself but he hit her again in the other side of her face.
While Budweiser threw items around the room, the woman escaped and called police.
But there was still time for the defendant to catch up and push her on to the concrete.
When the victim was interviewed by police, she recounted two previous examples of serious violence her boyfriend had meted out.
In July 2017, the couple had become embroiled in a heated discussion.
Budweiser walked across the room towards his victim and appeared to have calmed down.
He had not.
He punched the woman in the face, leaving her on her knees with blood pouring from her nose.
She ran to her vehicle but Budweiser removed the keys to stop her leaving.
Eventually, they left the property together and the victim underwent serious surgery on her nose to repair the damage.
Nearly a year later, Budweiser was at it again.
Following a disagreement, the defendant poured hot coffee on his partner’s lap, leaving her with burns.
He was convicted of assault with a weapon, assault with intent to injure and injuring by an unlawful act.
Counsel Debbie Henderson provided a cultural report to the court which detailed her client’s "disadvantaged upbringing".
"Violence was all he knew growing up," she said.
Crown prosecutor Robin Bates acknowledged it made for sad reading and Judge Emma Smith reduced Budweiser’s sentence because of it.
"You were deprived of modelling and your cultural heritage," Judge Smith said.
While Budweiser had made headlines in the past for his violent behaviour, he also made waves on social media last year when footage emerged of him riding a La-Z-Boy on a Lime scooter around Dunedin’s cycle lanes.
