Man sentenced for assaulting girls

A Masterton man was sentenced today in Wellington District Court to six months' community detention for assaulting his partner's two young daughters.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was also sentenced to one year's intensive supervision and 250 hours' community work.

He had earlier denied two representative charges of assault and one of threatening to cause grievous bodily harm to the girls between February 13, 2004, and December 24, 2006.

But last month after the elder sister, then aged 10, gave evidence via closed circuit television, he pleaded guilty to the assault charges.

He was discharged on the count of threatening to cause grievous bodily harm.

Crown prosecutor Dale La Hood had told the jury the man would become angry and aggressive "and take that anger and aggression out on the children".

"He would hit them with a wooden spoon, he would kick and punch them and on one occasion he threw (the younger girl) about her room."

- NZPA