A Queenstown man who assaulted his wife of 21 years has been granted permanent name suppression to protect her identity.
After convicting and discharging the man, Judge Bernadette Farnan told him she had also made the suppression order to prevent the sale of the couple's jointly-owned business from being jeopardised by publicity about the case.
The man appeared for sentencing in the Queenstown District Court yesterday on an amended charge of assault under the Summary Offences Act.
He admitted the charge after initially denying two charges of assault of a person in a family relationship and threatening to kill.
Prosecuting Sergeant Ian Collin said the couple were at home on July 18 this year when they began arguing about the victim's longstanding wish for a divorce and his unwillingness to agree to one.
When she went into their 8-year-old daughter's bedroom to sit with the girl, he followed her, shouting and behaving aggressively.
When she covered her ears, he grabbed her wrists and pulled them away.
The victim and her daughter left the house and went to the police station to report the incident.
Counsel James Rapley said the defendant had wanted to discuss the divorce issue with his wife, but she did not want to listen.
The assault was at the lowest end of the scale, he said.
``He grabbed her wrists and pulled one of her hands away.''
He was extremely remorseful, had no criminal history, and was a ``loving, caring family man''.
Judge Farnan told the defendant he was aggressive towards his wife, shouted at her, and caused bruising to one of her wrists.
