Detention for assault on de facto wife

Press, 12 October 1988, Page 32

Detention for assault on de facto wife

PA Wellington A man who assaulted his de facto wife with a car console cover was sentenced to six months periodic detention when he appeared in the District Court at Lower Hutt. George Petelo, aged 28, a Stokes Valley treefeller, was also sentenced to 12 months supervision on the charge, and ordered to undertake anger management and drug counselling as directed by a probation officer. On a connected charge of assault on a constable, he was sentenced to one month periodic detention. The police summary said the complainant began to drive Petelo home about 3.45 a.m. on July 30. An argument developed and he hit her across the back of the head with the console cover. Petelo ordered her to stop the car. When she did, he hit her on the forehead and the top of the head with the console cover, and she deflected a fourth blow with her arm. She got out of the car and tried to stop a passing motorist. She then saw a male

pedestrian she recognised and hid behind him. Petelo appeared to calm down, then suddenly threw the complainant to the ground and kicked and hit her. The police arrived and found her crying and shaken, with blood on her face and hair. She required 16 stitches. The defendant was unco-operative with the police and a struggle developed in which he pushed a constable backwards, the Court was told. Defence counsel, Mr Ben Sheehan, said imprisonment might not be the necessary response to the charges because of special circumstances after the incident The defendant and complainant had together sought help for the defendant’s alcohol and violence problems, and the complainant had been present to support the defendant on each court appearance. Petelo had apologised to the constable assaulted. Judge Raybone said Petelo was “rightly ashamed,” but was due some credit for facing his problems.