A Dunedin man has narrowly avoided prison time after threatening to slit his throat with a machete and accumulating significant domestic abuse charges.
Meafua Junior Meafua, 30, appeared in the Dunedin District Court this week after racking up five domestic violence related charges over a three-month period in 2021.
The man had repeatedly spat in the woman’s face, thrown her possessions out the window, slapped her and grabbed her by the throat. All of the offending occurred while he was intoxicated, the court heard.
"Do you want to watch me die?" he said.
He then threatened to harm the victim and her family.
On another occasion, the man snatched the victim’s cellphone and snapped it in half — causing cuts to his hands.
Meafua had a history of "not surprisingly unhealthy relationships, alcohol abuse and violence offending", Judge David Robinson said.
He was assessed as being high risk of re-offending in a family violence context.
Meafua spent a month in custody and 12 months’ on restrictive electronically-monitored bail, during which time he had reassessed his relationship with alcohol.
"You need strategies to deal with relationship issues on the one hand, and alcohol on the other hand," the judge said.
"You put yourself and those around you at risk."
Meafua was sentenced to 18 months’ intensive supervision and the judge said he hoped to hear positive things about his engagement with rehabilitation services.
