Toddler's balcony dangle 'blown out of proportion'

Photo / APN

A man who threatened his heavily pregnant partner by dangling his toddler out of a window admits he was "a bit rough'' with his son.

The 39-year-old man, who has name suppression to protect his 2-year-old son's identity, appeared in Auckland District Court today for sentencing.

The sickness beneficiary faced several assault charges against his partner and son after the incident.

The court was told that in December last year, the man was arguing about lost money with his nine-month pregnant partner, who was three days overdue at the time.

The man became enraged and left the couple's Avondale home. He took some methadone and sleeping pills before coming back to find his partner had not been able to find the money.

She suffered minor bruising when he pushed her during an ensuing argument.

His partner sought refuge at the house of a neighbour who called the police. The man followed, waving a knife and telling the woman to go home.

He then calmed down and went back to his house.

A short time later, the neighbour saw the man holding his toddler out of a second-storey window before going back inside.

Judge Roy Wade today sentenced the man to two years intensive supervision.

"I will impose a sentence of intensive supervision to assist you in sticking to the straight and narrow.''

The man had battled drug addiction problems before and had recently completed a home detention sentence for another conviction, Judge Wade said.

The court was previously told the couple were under financial stress, and there had been little rest in the house in the lead up to the incident.

Outside the courtroom, the man said the incident with his son had been "blown out of proportion''.

"I was just being a bit rough with my son. It could have lead to worse consequences.''

The man was still in a relationship with the woman and was trying to work through the pair's issues, defence lawyer Adam Holland said outside court.

"He's in the process of trying to reconcile his relationship.''