Taranaki man on home detention held baby while beating partner

Wesley Knock was on home detention when he beat his partner while holding their baby. Photo / File

An offender on home detention held his baby in one arm while hitting his partner with the other. But now he has professed to the court his love for them both and promised to change.

Wesley Knock, 28, and his partner were arguing on October 5 last year at their New Plymouth address, where Knock was serving a sentence of home detention at the time.

Angry that the woman had walked away to defuse the situation, Knock struck her in the face.

The force of the blow knocked the woman onto their bed and he then followed through with a second strike to the woman's face.

Knock was holding their then four-month-old baby at the time.

The woman pleaded with Knock, apologising to him in an attempt to avoid further violence.

He "allowed" her to then get off the bed and gather herself, a police summary of facts detailed.

Soon after this, the woman said something which led Knock to believe she was "answering him back".

He grabbed a towel and whipped it at her face, connecting with the woman's eye.

In New Plymouth District Court this week, Knock appeared via audio-visual link from Whanganui Prison.

He had penned a letter to the court which Judge Lynne Harrison invited him to read aloud.

"I would like to say that I am very sorry for what I have done to my partner," Knock said. "I love her very much."

"We have a good relationship and are actually very good friends. Both my partner and my son mean a lot to me and are my only family in New Zealand."

Wesley Knock appeared in New Plymouth District Court this week. Photo / Tara Shaskey

Knock said he wanted to do everything in his power to make it up to his partner so the pair could move forward and focus on their son.

"The past couple of years we have been there for each other through a lot, from leaving the gang, to being homeless to beating a meth addiction," he said.

"I'm open to all help I can get in order for my darling to feel safe and for her to receive justice."

He described the woman as a beautiful mother and partner.

"I miss her and my son dearly."

A victim impact statement from the woman said she didn't want their son exposed to any more violence.

Knock was serving a four-month sentence of home detention at the time of the violent offending, consequently, the woman withdrew her consent to have him live there.

There were no other addresses available to him and so he has been in custody since October last year.

Knock appeared for sentence on a charge of assaulting a person in a family relationship, relating to the October offending, and for an application to cancel the previous sentence of home detention and substitute it with a term of imprisonment.

The court didn't say what Knock had been serving home detention for, but it was heard he has previous convictions for family violence.

There have been five incidents of family harm recorded by police in the two years the pair have been together.

Defence lawyer Josie Mooney said Knock's only support in New Zealand was his partner. His family remains in South Africa, it is understood.

"He has struggled for many years to try and turn his circumstances around and he had really been doing that up until this point," she said.

"And it speaks volumes about the difficulty that a sentence of home detention really is – being there 24 hours a day with the pressures of a very young child."

Police prosecutor Zane Webby sought a protection order in favour of Knock's partner.

However, it was heard a restorative justice conference was held between the pair in November and they were committed to working on their communication and making positive lifestyle changes, such as giving up methamphetamine.

Judge Harrison said Knock had been assessed as a medium risk of further offending, given his intention to return to the relationship.

She was concerned by his clear pattern of intimate partner violence but accepted at face value that his remorse was genuine.

"It's well overdue for you to change and take hold of this situation," she told him.

"And what really troubles me is that there were two victims involved in your offending – a very young vulnerable baby."

Judge Harrison said judges have said that where there's repetitive family violence offending, stern sentences would be justified.

On all matters, she sentenced him to eight months' jail and imposed a protection order in favour of the woman and their child.