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GREYMOUTH - A social worker told a Greymouth District Court judge she was pleading guilty to an assault that she did not commit to end a campaign of threats and abuse against her family.
Sarah Jane Alexander was to yesterday defend a charge of assaulting another woman but vacated her not guilty plea despite Judge Gary MacAskill suggesting she had a technical defence to the charge, arising from an incident on March 10.
Police alleged Alexander grabbed the woman, who was holding a child at the time by the neck, but Alexander said she was simply trying to stop the other woman from abusing her child.
She had never appeared in court before but, because it was a domestic violence offence, was not eligible for diversion.
Judge MacAskill said defence of a child was justification for a plea of self-defence and he suggested that Alexander reconsider her stance.
"My child has been abused, I have been threatened and my house has been burgled because of this case, I just want to end it today," Alexander replied.
The judge then suggested the police officer in charge should check out those allegations, and again asked her to reconsider her guilty plea, but to no avail.
"I don't want my house burned down. Just get it over and done with," Alexander said.
Reluctantly, the judge entered a conviction and imposed a nominal $200 fine.
- NZPA
