Man's inability to move on imperils ex partner, says judge

The judge said he found ''concerning'' the man's statement to his probation officer that his ex is "the love of his life". Photo / 123RF

A man who booted open his ex-partner's door in the middle of the night and berated her in front of three young children says she is the love of his life.

That statement - made by Levon Mark Wallace-Grant to a probation officer before yesterday's Dunedin District Court sentencing - was "concerning", Judge Michael Turner said.

The pair had broken up but the defendant seemed unable to accept that.

"Statements like that suggest jealousy, possessiveness and an inability to move on and that escalates the risk to her," the judge said.

Wallace-Grant had a history of domestic violence and had been involved in 17 family harm events since 2013, the court heard.

Yesterday he was jailed for 14 months on charges of breaching a protection order, theft and breaching release conditions, and Judge Turner imposed six months' release conditions which included the possibility of GPS monitoring to further protect his former partner.

On December 17, after consuming alcohol and ecstasy with friends, Wallace-Grant formed the view the victim had been seeing someone while he was behind bars.

In the early hours of the morning, he persuaded a friend to drive him to her home.

Wallace-Grant kicked open a locked door and found the woman asleep with their three kids.

The defendant stood over the victim and verbally abused her, before taking her phone and pushing her back on the mattress when she tried to stop him.

The woman, the court heard, contacted police by pushing a safety alarm which had been installed at the home.

In a statement to the court Wallace-Grant's ex partner said she had had enough.

Her family feared for her life, she wrote.

A report on Wallace-Grant put him at a high risk of reoffending and high risk of harming others.

Judge Turner questioned the example the defendant was setting to his children.

''What sort of role model are you providing for them? Dad's no longer with mum but feels entitled to arrive in the middle of the night to boot the door in, drugged up, because he's jealous,'' he said.

Wallace-Grant had been in custody for nearly four months awaiting sentence.

DO YOU NEED HELP?

If you're in danger now:

• Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours of friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people.
• Scream for help so that your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you.
• Don't stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay

Where to go for help or more information:

• Ngā Wai a Te Tūī Māori and Indigenous Research Centre and the New Zealand Family Violence Clearinghouse are partnering to provide information on preventing and responding to family, whānau and sexual violence during COVID-19.
• Shine, free national helpline 9am- 11pm every day - 0508 744 633 www.2shine.org.nz
• Women's Refuge: Free national crisis line operates 24/7 - 0800 refuge or 0800 733 843 www.womensrefuge.org.nz
• Shakti: Providing specialist cultural services for African, Asian and middle eastern women and their children. Crisis line 24/7 0800 742 584
• It's Not OK: Information line 0800 456 450 www.areyouok.org.nz