A judge has told a Dunedin teen he is "on a direct path to prison" if he continues his unabated pattern of offending.
Frederick Tamarangi Milton Burns (19) appeared before the Dunedin District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to assaulting a female, driving while disqualified and breaching previous sentences of supervision and community work.
In total, it was seven convictions in the past year, Judge Michael Turner said.
"You are on a direct path to prison at this point," he said.
"Only you can alter that course."
On June 9, Burns argued with his girlfriend when he woke up to find he had slept through his alarm.
He was late for community work, a sentence he had received for an earlier driving offence.
Burns’ licence was suspended and he demanded his 17-year-old partner gave him a ride.
Their argument escalated and the defendant pushed her in the stomach, causing her to fall back on to the bed.
Despite his driving ban, Burns got into the victim’s Mazda and drove down Pentland St.
He returned shortly afterwards to find his girlfriend had packed his bags and was standing in the hallway.
She attempted to stand her ground as Burns walked towards her but he forcefully pushed her into the wall and she ended up on the floor crying.
Defence counsel Meg Scally said her client had been suffering depression "to the point of paralysis" at the time.
The relationship with the victim was now over and Burns was living with his mother and father.
Judge Turner said Probation’s assessment of the defendant’s likelihood of reoffending as low was "bewildering", given his recent form.
He sentenced the teenager to four months’ community detention (with a weekend curfew) and nine months’ supervision.
Burns was disqualified from driving for six months, to start when his previous ban lapses in January.
