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.
