An Oamaru man who threatened to smash his partner’s face into a wall and kill their unborn baby has been sentenced to eight months in prison.
He was playing music loudly when his neighbours and his partner, who was three-months pregnant at the time, asked him to turn it down.
Yeo was intoxicated and became hostile, telling his partner he would "smash her face into the wall", the Oamaru District Court heard this week.
The victim reminded her partner that she was pregnant with their unborn child, to which Yeo responded "I don’t give a f... ".
He told his partner that he would "kill the baby too", adding that it would leave him with less stress and make the victim miserable.
Fearing for her safety, the victim tried to lock herself in a bedroom while Yeo continued to threaten her until police arrived.
Judge Dominic Dravitzki acknowledged Yeo’s "deep regret" for behaving this way and gave him credit for identifying himself as an alcoholic.
Yeo had 43 previous convictions for violent crimes and the judge surmised they were all intrinsically linked to alcohol.
"When you drink you become angry, irrational and violent.
"Alcohol seems to be the root of all your problems".
Judge Dravitzki described cultural factors that had contributed to Yeo’s offending; his childhood being marred by violence, early exposure to alcohol and foster care.
Yeo was sentenced to eight months’ imprisonment and will undergo counselling to address his drug and alcohol use.
By Erin Cox
