Guilty plea to assault on wife after row

A Carterton man, 25, who appeared in Masterton District Court last Thursday pleaded guilty to an assault on his wife.

Prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson said about 9.30pm on January 22 Culan Kelvin Kumar and his wife were home in Carterton. Their 16-month-old daughter was asleep in a bedroom.

Both Kumar and Mrs Kumar had each consumed three or four beers when an argument developed over some renovation work and Kumar subsequently reached out with one hand and grabbed Mrs Kumar's neck.

In retaliation Mrs Kumar sank her fingernails into the forearm of Kumar, who slapped her three times with an open hand across the face.

She fell to the floor, hitting her head and became increasingly disoriented.

Sergeant Wilson said Mrs Kumar remained unresponsive for a period of time.

He said Kumar held her head and moved it from side-to-side vigorously. When Mrs Kumar eventually came to she immediately left the house and spent the night with a friend.

Mrs Kumar received finger scrapes and bruising to her neck, a sore face and body.

Judge Pat Grace remanded Kumar for sentencing on bail until April 11 and directed him not to drink alcohol or take unprescribed drugs.