Judge unsure why both parties weren't charged

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Details of a brawl between a girlfriend and her partner prompted a judge to wonder aloud why only the man was being charged by police.

Iran-Robert Manihera, 39, from Masterton, appeared in court earlier this week and was convicted of common assault, after a violent fight with his girlfriend, which began when she hit him over the head with a laptop.

"Is there any reason other than gender that she wasn't charged?" Judge Chris Tuohy asked the court.

Prosecuting sergeant Jodie Lawrence told the court how, on July 23, Manihera had been at the woman's house in Palmerston North.

Manihera was playing games on his laptop when the woman became angry with him because she wanted to go to sleep. When he refused to stop playing she grabbed his laptop and hit him over the head with it.

He became angry at her and punched her head several times. The woman ran to the kitchen where she got a large knife and returned to the bedroom to confront Manihera.

Manihera closed the door and the pair yelled abuse at each other until police arrived.

The woman ended up with two large bumps on her forehead and was taken to hospital by ambulance for observation.

Manihera told police he had acted in self defence.

Defence lawyer Virginia Pearson said the knife brandished by the woman had been confiscated but she was not charged.

"This defendant has ended up with injury himself, he's pleaded on the basis that the amount of punches have been an overreaction to the situation."

She said there was a history of problems between the couple, who have been in a casual relationship for the last three years, and that Manihera wanted nothing more to do with the woman.

"This is the end score for him, he's no longer wishing to have any contact with this person."

Judge Chris Tuohy said the fact the woman had not been charged was not a reason for not charging Manihera.

"It may well be that it started because you got hit over the head with a laptop and later got threatened with a knife but two wrongs don't make a right and what you did was wrong."

Judge Tuohy sentenced Manihera to 75 hours' community work.

Ms Lawrence told the Times-Age it was "unlikely" the woman would be charged.