Supervision for ex-partner

trevor.quinn@age.co.nz

A 26-year-old Masterton man who threatened to smash the windows of his ex-girlfriend's workplace and burn her house down was sentenced to nine months supervision on Thursday at Masterton District Court.

Tahi Charles Love was also sentenced to nine months supervision for resisting arrest. Love, who pleaded guilty to both charges, was arrested after police used pepper spray to restrain him.

Senior Sergeant Jodie Lawrence said Love's girlfriend had found Facebook messages to Love from another woman and ended the relationship.

Ms Lawrence said on Friday December 14 Love went to her workplace, where she worked as a beautician.

He located her in a private room tending to a customer and verbally abused her when she refused to hand over her cellphone. Love then threatened to smash the windows of her work place and burn her house down.

Police were called but Love told them he would assault them if they tried to arrest him.

He ignored warnings that he would be pepper sprayed and continued to resist arrest, breaking away from police even after being handcuffed.

Defence lawyer Louise Elder asked Judge Tony Walsh if supervision could be considered for her client. "He recognises he needs to get anger management and that combined in my view with supervision could be sufficient, especially since there is a protection order in place," she said.

Judge Walsh agreed on a supervision order in tandem with the protection order and imposed two nine-month supervision orders to run concurrently.

He said Love's girlfriend was concerned he would carry out his threat to burn her house down and a protection order was necessary.

Judge Walsh also directed that the defendant attend drug and alcohol counselling and attend a violence rehabilitation programme.