An Oamaru woman who accused her partner of assault admitted in court yesterday she lied in her statement to police.
Graeme John Salter (43), farm worker, of Corriedale, appeared before Judge Tony Couch in the Oamaru District Court yesterday to defend a charge of assaulting Tara Marie Donovan on March 23.
The charge was dismissed.
The court heard Ms Donovan became increasingly agitated and angry and vented her anger on Salter on the afternoon of March 23.
This included a struggle over a vacuum cleaner, turning over a heavy table and a tussle in the doorway of a bedroom.
On each occasion, Ms Donovan initiated the conflict.
Police were called and the view, at the time, was that Ms Donovan was the aggressor and she was accordingly arrested and taken to the Oamaru Police Station.
At the police station cells, Ms Donovan told Constable Helen Jones Salter had assaulted her and caused visible injuries on her body.
Ms Donovan was then lodged with Women's Refuge in Timaru and examined by Dr Ian Smith.
After four witnesses had been called for the prosecution and one for the defence yesterday, Judge Couch dismissed the charge of assault, which he said was unable to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
''What emerged from the evidence was that Ms Donovan had a number of injuries or marks on her body,'' Judge Couch said.
These included a bruise to her eyelid, eye, ear, hips and side, marks to her wrist and skinned knuckles on one hand.
It was alleged Salter caused the injuries.
''In her evidence today, Ms Donovan contradicted those assertions,'' Judge Couch said.
''She was very clear in her evidence that the defendant had, as she put it, `not laid a hand on me', other than grasping her wrist.''
Dr Smith gave evidence there was uncertainty around when Ms Donovan's injuries were caused, but agreed that because of their differing colour, from blue to yellow, they probably occurred at different times.
Judge Couch said he was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Salter caused Ms Donovan's injuries, or that he did not do so in self defence.
''There was ample evidence that Ms Donovan was angry to the point of being out of control during the incident. She behaved in a violent and irrational way.''
It seemed quite possible the bruises suffered by Ms Donovan were accidental, he said.
