Protection order breach

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A 31-year-old shearer in a "problematic relationship" who twice breached a protection order and threatened to show his partner's underwear to everyone in the street, has been given a stern warning by the judge.

Anthony Maia Reiri will be heading to jail next time he assaults his partner or breaches the court-imposed order.

The 31-year-old, who previously entered guilty pleas to two counts of breaching a protection order, was sentenced to two months' home detention when he appeared before Judge Tony Walsh in the Masterton District Court this week.

The police summary of facts state on May 19 Reiri and his partner, who was drinking and texting at the time, were at home where he became agitated and asked who she was texting before grabbing her cellphone and trawling through her text messages.

He then told her she wasn't going out with her friends and demanded she give him her money, which she refused.

As she tried to leave the room he pushed her, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards. He then grabbed her from the back of her top, tearing it before she ran from the house.

Reiri drove the streets looking for her, the summary states.

While on bail and forbidden to associate with the victim, Reiri was at the victim's home on June 6, in breach of his bail conditions when the victim became upset and asked him to leave, which he refused.

He said he would show her underwear to everyone in the street, distressing her.

Judge Walsh noted Reiri had 27 previous convictions, three for breach of a protection order, telling him it wasn't acceptable.

"Protection orders are there for a purpose and the community is concerned about the breaches of orders ... The message needs to get out to the community there are consequences," he told Reiri.

The woman was scared of him, the judge said.

Defence lawyer Peter Stevens asked the court to consider time served as he had spent a month in prison on remand.

However, Judge Walsh said he needed to denounce the behaviour and in light of repeated breaches a prison term was appropriate. Along with home detention, Reiri was ordered to do family violence counselling.