Judge warns about family stress in wake of quake

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A convicted violent offender, who bashed his partner over the way she dressed their baby girl, has been warned to put his young family first as domestic violence is expected to rise in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake.

Christchurch District Court Judge Gary MacAskill told Nicholas Gary Phillips: "These are stressful times. You need to take that into account."

He released the 22-year-old under supervision for a year with special conditions that he undertake relationship counselling and a "stopping violence" programme as directed.

Phillips had pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his 18-year-old partner following a dispute last November over how she had dressed their three-month-old daughter.

He punched her, and tried to push her when she was on the stairs, though she clung to the handrail and did not fall.

He also admitted a charge of breaching his prison release conditions.

Judge MacAskill said: "I want you to take into account that all the people involved in the criminal justice system expect there will be more violent offending within families.

"It is already happening. You and your partner need to be alert to the fact that you need to avoid stress in the relationship."

Defence counsel Errol Parsons said Phillips had already served six weeks in custody on remand - the equivalent of a three-month prison term. The relationship had reformed and he was needed to help care for the family.

Judge MacAskill urged Phillips to ensure he did not breach the supervision sentence because that would lead to another jail term. "And that would not be good for you, or your partner, or the child."

Two days after the February 22 quake Christchurch police said they started to see an increase in domestic violence.

Family violence and suicide numbers rose following last September's quake, in which no lives were lost, and anecdotally officers saw a similar trend of domestic reports emerging, said Superintendent Russell Gibson.

Family violence was not OK under any circumstances if situations start to get heated at home, "take a deep breath and a step back; maybe go for a walk or go and chat things through with a friend or family member", he said.

- NZPA