A North Otago man subjected his partner to a prolonged beating then told her she deserved to be raped, a court has heard.
"Domestic violence is a scourge in this country and sentences need to reflect society’s condemnation of such behaviour," Judge Michael Turner told the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
He was persuaded "but only just" that 27-year-old Lucas Dylan Glenn Wilson should not be sent to prison.
The judge sentenced him to six months’ home detention.
Wilson was at his Dunedin home with his then-partner on the evening of October 2 last year, when an argument developed.
"You believed she was lying when she said she was not mad at you," Judge Turner said.
"You persisted asking why she was mad and she kept replying she wasn’t."
Wilson’s first act of violence was to grab the victim by the face, yelling at her and refusing to let go despite her threats to end the relationship and call police. He tossed her phone aside and pursued her when she fled.
After forcing her to the floor, he hit her up to eight times with an open hand and told her she "deserved everything she got".
That was followed by at least half a dozen kick to the stomach as the victim curled up into a foetal position.
He left the room and she went to find her phone, but it was not the end of the attack.
Wilson picked his girlfriend up, put her over his shoulder, carried her to the bedroom and threw her on to the bed.
Straddling her, he pushed her head into a pillow and told her she deserved to be raped.
Again Wilson backed off, going outside to smoke a cigarette, while the victim rushed to pack her belongings.
But his anger remained when he returned, and he emptied her bag and dragged her to the lounge, where he kicked her three more times.
Wilson pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault with intent to injure but was found guilty after a judge-alone trial.
He continued to protest his innocence and said the outcome "wasn’t fair".
The victim suffered swelling, tenderness and headaches but did not seek medical attention.
She said she approached police several months after the incident because she was scared of retaliation.
Len Andersen QC said his client, a first offender, had left the region shortly after being charged and did not plan to contact the victim again.
Wilson was ordered to pay the victim $1200 for the emotional harm caused.
