West Coast man sentenced to 11 months jail for serious assault on wife

The judge said Jacobs had a "very disconcerting history for violence", with 11 assault-related convictions.

A Ngahere man who almost strangled his mother after earlier assaulting his wife was this week sentenced to 11 months in jail.

Warrick David Jacobs, 34, was convicted in the Greymouth District Court of assault, contravening a protection order and illegal possession of a firearm, and assaulting a female and assault with intent to injure.

Towards the end of last year, Jacobs got into an argument with his wife. He threw a pillow at her, and then pretended to throw a television at her. He pushed her in the chest before taking hold of a .303 rifle and ammunition, for which he did not have a licence.

Jacobs was subsequently remanded on bail to his mother's address. However, the two ended up arguing about a vehicle. Jacobs grabbed his mother by the throat and pushed her up against a window, strangling her so she was unable to catch her breath.

Despite her gasping for him to let go he refused to yield.

When he eventually released his grip Jacobs pushed his mother to the floor and hit her.

Judge Tony Couch said Jacobs had a "very disconcerting history for violence", with 11 assault-related convictions.

It was "significant" that he punched his mother when she was "particularly vulnerable", having just tried to strangle her.

Judge Couch said Jacobs had admitted the charges but the pleas came only on the day he had been set to defend the charges at a hearing.

He sentenced Jacobs to nine months on the assault with intent charge, with a nine-month sentence for the assaulting female charge to run concurrently, and an extra two months cumulatively for the breach of a protection order.

Jacobs was given an extra one month each on the other charges to run concurrently.

However, given the fact that Jacobs had been in custody since December 13, the judge said that time served would be taken into consideration, meaning he would probably be eligible for release "relatively soon".

- Greymouth Star