A Dunedin man was caught strangling a woman as an onlooker witnessed the violence through a bathroom door.
Dylan Lee Jon Wells, 33, was known for "having a short fuse ... drug use and violence", Judge Dominic Flatley said in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.
At 10.45pm on May 6, Wells was at a house party with a woman when an argument erupted in the bathroom.
As other guests noticed the commotion, a witness approached and peered through a gap in the door.
Wells had his hand around the victim’s neck and was pressing her against the wall, the court heard.
She could not breathe as he repeatedly threatened to kill her.
"I’m going to f...... kill you," he said, before taking the woman’s house keys from her.
"She was obviously very, very scared by what you did," Judge Flatley said.
The victim returned home with a friend and was forced to smash a window to gain entry, cutting her hand.
Wells had used the woman’s keys to enter the property and leave an apology note, but returned a short time later to continue the abuse.
He prevented the victim’s friend from leaving and snatched her cellphone out of her hand.
Wells left the home when he realised police were on their way and was arrested the following morning.
The defendant had a history of domestic violence "across multiple relationships" and posed a high risk of reoffending, the court heard.
Counsel Sophia Thorburn said Wells suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motorbike accident in 2021, making it difficult for him to regulate his emotions.
Judge Flatley acknowledged the man’s health difficulties and encouraged him to make better decisions.
"You are going to have to curtail your alcohol and drug use, because the combination is going to be disastrous."
Wells was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment for threatening to kill and strangulation.
