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A man who carried out a "murderous" attack on his partner has escaped a prison sentence.
James Arthur Holder, 33, was convicted in Blenheim District Court last week of assault.
Crown prosecutor Janine Bonifant said the assault happened last April after Holder had been drinking in a Picton bar.
He returned home to where his partner and her four children were and started beating her, picking up an oval table and striking the woman in the leg. Then he grabbed her and tightened a cord around her neck.
"He slammed her up against the bench and punched her seven or eight times and continued to abuse her," Ms Bonifant said.
Holder continued to beat the woman, body slamming her against an upturned chair while still abusing her.
The woman eventually managed to break free and ran from the address and called police, who found Holder in an aggressive state when they arrived.
"She sustained considerable injuries," Ms Bonifant said.
Judge David McKegg told Holder his actions on that day were murderous.
He noted Holder's large list of previous convictions and his poor history of complying with community based sentences but said he had decided not to imprison him partly because Holder had the victim's support.
The judge said Holder had undergone counselling since the incident.
"An assault of this nature is not one I can sweep to one side. However, I am reluctant to send you to jail," he said.
Judge McKegg sentenced Holder to 100 hours community work coupled with nine months supervision and ordered him to complete a stop violence programme.
- NZPA
'Murderous' attack on partner not enough to send man to jail
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