‘Leniency’ for stabbing

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 18

‘Leniency’ for stabbing

Although a man stabbed in the stomach refused to lay a complaint the police were fully justified in bringing a charge against his de facto wife, Mr Justice Tipping said in the High Court yesterday. Tanya Joy Jordan, aged 22, was given “substantial leniency,” said His Honour when he sentenced her to eight months periodic detention and one year’s supervision on a charge of wounding her husband, Ricki Taituha, with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. Evidence was given at the trial that the offence occurred during a domestic dispute in an England Street flat on the after-

noon of November 15. For Jordan, Mr Timothy Fournier said that because of his client’s special circumstances and personal position a jail term did not have to be imposed. Jordan, who had a baby son should be given credit for making dramatic changes in her lifestyle. At the moment she was drug-free.

Since her conviction in 1987 for a similar offence Jordan had had anger management counselling.

The stress of the relationship at the time of the offence arose from a series of domestic disputes and in a prior incident Jordan’s husband

had destroyed some property. Her husband had forgiven her and she was unlikely to offend in this way again, Mr Fournier said.

Mr Mark Zarifeh, for the Crown, said that this was a serious offence and Jordan could have faced a much more serious charge had the position of the wound been a little different. Jordan had a long record and a jail term should be imposed. Mr Justice Tipping said that Jordan had stabbed her de facto husband in the abdomen with a knife. Mr Fournier had made an able plea on her behalf.

Serious violence and danger were involved and

unless there were special circumstances he was required to send her to prison. Her husband had sought leniency on her behalf. She had a son, aged 10 weeks. Jordan appeared to be making a real effort to give the baby a good start in life and had been making a determined attempt to stop drug abuse and to control her anger. It was in society’s interests as well as her own that those efforts were not put back. This was a case where the Court should stop short of imprisonment but the grave concern about the use of knives had to be shown, Mr Justice Tipping said.