A New Year’s party turned sour when a woman broke her brother’s window to retrieve her child, after she was locked out of the house by her mother.
In the Invercargill District Court yesterday, police prosecutor Sergeant Carmen Stewart said the other adults at the party left the house during the evening.
Tai and her mother stayed to look after the children. It was then they got into an argument, and Tai’s mother locked her out.
Tai then smashed the window pane of the front door so she could retrieve her child before leaving the address.
Judge John Brandts-Giesen said alcohol had affected Tai’s decision-making ability.
"The whole idea of New Year parties is for people to enjoy themselves and not get so drunk they misbehave," he said.
"You clearly were intoxicated and you had at least one child with you that day — it’s not impressive."
He told Tai she was setting a bad example and it was not a good way to start the new year.
Tai was fined $100 for intentional damage, and ordered to pay court costs of $130 and reparation of $250.
