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A woman was bashed unconscious as she held a young child during a frenzied home invasion committed while her attacker was on bail for previously assaulting her.
Pope Savelio, 24, has been jailed for eight years after attacking his former partner and her new boyfriend in Arataki, Bay of Plenty, less than two months after he was charged with assaulting the same woman.
Savelio had been on bail at the time and had a protection order against him.
The case has today sparked outrage from Sensible Sentencing and Women's Refuge, with police saying it was only luck no one died.
It is also among a growing list of offenders who are committing crimes while on bail or parole. The issue was re-ignited today as New Zealand's youngest convicted killer, Bailey Junior Kurariki, was due to be considered for parole soon.
In Tauranga District Court last week, Judge Peter Rollo imposed a four-year non-parole period on Savelio, saying his brutal attack last September was an extreme act of violence and breached a domestic violence protection order.
Savelio was sentenced on charges of assault with intent to injure, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH), assault on a female, and remaining at a property after a burglary. The court was told Savelio was drunk when he arrived at his ex-partner's house at 2.30am on September 6.
He tried to smash his way through a locked glass door and eventually entered through an unlocked door and told the woman's new boyfriend he was going "to waste him".
The man pleaded with Savelio to calm down for the sake of the three young children present but Savelio grabbed three steak knives and lunged at the man's stomach.
The man suffered several deep cuts to his forearms and wrist, then Savelio moved on to his former partner, lunging at her while she held her young child in her arms.
He repeatedly punched her in the face until she lost consciousness and fell on top of her child on the floor, where Savelio stomped on her head several times.
One blow partly struck the child. He then stormed outside and attacked his two victims' cars with a spade.
Crown prosecutor Duncan McWilliam told Judge Rollo it was "only fortuitous that we're not dealing with a domestic homicide".
Risk
Judge Rollo told Savelio he had been assessed as medium to high risk of reoffending.
"This was a completely unprovoked prolonged home invasion attack on two helpless victims, and to make matters worse, extreme violence while you were on bail after two acts of assault on one of the same victims.
"Plus it was in direct contravention of a domestic violence protection order and carried out in front of your no doubt severely traumatised children."
Tauranga Women's Refuge manager Hazel Hape said this type of extreme violence was all too common.
She said: "There is no doubt protection orders are a great safety tool when the abuser abides by them, but when they don't it's just a piece of paper with no teeth unless police are adequately resourced to enforce it."
Ken Evans, spokesman for the Tauranga branch of Sensible Sentencing Trust, said: "It's beginning to sound like a broken record but it's about time judges listened to what police have to say when they oppose bail."
Mr Evans said it was okay for an offender's lawyer to say their client won't do it again and should be bailed but judges should always err on the side of caution in these matters. "Clearly that didn't happen before this shocking attack on two vulnerable victims."
It was unclear today whether police had opposed bail in this case.
Tauranga police Inspector Karl Wright-St Clair said police vigorously enforce protection order breaches as "best they can".
Last year 99 temporary and 84 final domestic violence protection orders were granted in Tauranga District Court and 92 people were convicted for breaching existing protection orders.
Crimes committed while on bail/parole
Greerton man Daniel Heke: Jailed for 3 years on December 20 after assaulting then torching his former partner's home while on bail for assault
Tauranga mother Kahlone Boyd: Jailed for 3 years, six months, on December 19 for aggravated assault and burglary after she helped attack a Mount Maunganui homeowner with his own samurai sword. Went on to commit a raft of other offences while on bail for the burglary.
Convicted killer Graeme Burton: Released on parole after 14 years, and has since been charged with 23 offences, including the murder of Wainuiomata father Karl Kuchenbecker
William Bell: Had breached all nine conditions of his parole at the time of 2001 Panmure RSA triple murders
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
