Temuka man jailed for assault on girlfriend

Harley Ihaka Timothy, 20, has been jailed for assaulting his girlfriend. File photo / NZ Herald

A Temuka man who kidnapped his girlfriend and cut her face has been jailed for two years and four months.

Harley Ihaka Timothy, 20, was sentenced in Timaru District Court yesterday on charges of kidnapping, assaulting a female, two charges of assault with a weapon and threatening to kill, the Timaru Herald reported.

The court was told the armed offenders squad was called to a Temuka house about midday on January 24, where Timothy was holding his girlfriend hostage.

The incident started when she said she wanted to go home but he did not want her to leave.

"You hit her with a shoe several times and she tried to walk away and you put your hand over her mouth," Judge Joanna Maze said.

When she escaped he went after her before going back to his house and getting a 15cm knife and saying "I'll stab you".

He made stabbing motions and, when she cowered, hit her in the face with the knife resulting in a small cut. Timothy surrendered to police within an hour of the incident.

Judge Maze took into account his history of violent offending and gang associations, and a childhood of severe domestic violence, when sentencing him.

- NZPA