Man sentenced to one year in jail for repeatedly attacking wife

A Lake Hawea man has been sentenced to a year in jail after being found guilty of repeatedly abusing his partner. Photo / File

A Lake Hawea man with a history of violent attacks on his wife will spend a year behind bars for his latest offending.

At his sentencing in the Queenstown District Court on Tuesday, Doron Tulia Junior Pelesauma Seu-Leniu, 41, told Judge Chris Sygrove he was determined to overcome his addiction and anger issues and become a good example to the couple’s three young children.

His time in prison awaiting sentence had been the “most painful six months of my life”.

After receiving a sentence indication yesterday, Seu-Leniu admitted a charge of assault with intent to injure — a representative charge covering offences between January 1, 2020 and March 7 last year in Cardrona and Lake Hawea — as well as assault in a family relationship on January 5 last year, in Lake Hawea.

He told the judge he was deeply remorseful, and never wanted to return to prison.

“I know you’ve heard this a thousand times, your honour.

“But I want to break this cycle — I don’t want to see my children in prison.”

Judge Sygrove said the defendant had a history of assaulting the victim, for which he had already served two prison sentences.

On January 1, 2020, he pushed the victim to the floor and kicked her in the head about eight times. She begged him to stop, saying “you’re going to kill me”.

On January 5 last year at their Lake Hawea home, he pushed her before pulling her hair and punching her arms. She managed to leave the property and called the police.

Early in the morning of March 7 last year, he dragged her from their bedroom into the living room before punching her in the head several times as she lay in the foetal position.

Judge Sygrove said the defendant had been drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis since he was 14.

After his release from prison, Seu-Leniu is subject to conditions for six months requiring him to undergo intervention for his anger and addiction issues.