Sending threatening texts draws jail term

Taupo man Lucky Tupara, who has 61 previous convictions for violence, was jailed for seven months when he appeared in Taupo District Court yesterday.

Tupara, 36, who was first convicted of violence in 1997, had pleaded guilty to assaulting a female.

He had previously received a suspended sentence for sending threatening text messages to a female.

In court yesterday, Judge James Weir said Tupara's actions were aggressive and unwarranted.

Judge Weir said Tupara's previous history of violence meant that the content of his text messages, which had included threatening to kill, would be frightening and taken seriously by the recipient of the message.

Sentencing Tupara to prison, Judge Weir said that he hoped the defendant would give everyone a break and not come back to court.

- NZPA