A man who punched his partner once in the head was so remorseful that he immediately called police himself, duty solicitor Jamie Waugh said.
On March 28 in Whanganui District Court Tama Robert Allan Rooney pleaded guilty to one charge of common assault. The woman he punched was the mother of his four children, with another one on the way.
The punch resulted in minor swelling, and Rooney had been in court for the same offence in 2013. Since the most recent one he has taken ownership of his actions, Mr Waugh said, and been in a restorative justice process which resulted in a good report.
Judge Philip Crayton sentenced Rooney to 50 hours' community work "to mark the offending and also to make good to the community".