Dunedin man strangled partner twice after argument about Mallowpuffs

An argument about Mallowpuffs ended in an attempted strangulation in Dunedin. Photo / File

A Dunedin man strangled his partner twice after an argument over a packet of Mallowpuffs, a court has heard.

The defendant, aged in his 30s, appeared in the Dunedin District Court following the May 22 incident, but cannot be named because Judge David Robinson suppressed the identity of the victim.

The man had previously pleaded guilty to strangulation, a charge which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' imprisonment, and the court heard he had previous domestic violence convictions relating to another person.

The pair had been drinking when an argument arose over household matters, "including that one of the children had eaten a full packet of Mallowpuff biscuits".

The judge called it "a trivial matter".

The defendant left the house at the woman's request, but returned shortly afterwards.

He went into her room and fell asleep, but was woken several hours later by the victim, who resumed the argument.

"The defendant got up and lunged at the victim and put his hand around her throat, pinning her to the bed while standing over her," a police summary said.

He applied pressure for up to five seconds before releasing her.

It appeared he was set to leave the home but returned to the room to retrieve his belongings, then pushed the victim back onto the bed and throttled her again for a similar period.

Two children at the house did not see the incident but heard it, the court heard.

The woman sustained bruising to her neck and told police she felt "like something would snap" because of the pressure the man inflicted.

Judge Robinson said the court always took strangulation seriously because it was a "red flag" that perpetrators could go on to kill, and the crime often left few marks even when life-threatening.

It was about control, the judge said.

"Strangulation is all about showing the victim [...] that you're boss and things will happen on your terms."

Counsel Steve Turner said his client had been going through a range of personal stresses at the time, including being the innocent party in a serious road incident.

Home detention would result in the man losing his job and the ability to support his family, he said.

The judge said the defendant had shown a high level of remorse and had self-referred to Stopping Violence.

He was sentenced to six months of community detention, 150 hours of community work and nine months' supervision, and was ordered to pay the victim $500.