A woman whose partner threatened her with a chainsaw said she reported him to the police so he could get the help he needed.
Byron David Ray, 21, appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Friday after pleading guilty to two charges of threatening to kill, three of wilful damage and one of possessing cannabis.
The court heard on March 22 the defendant was yelling and abusing his partner and at one stage pointed a knife at her.
When she arrived, Ray told her children that they "better hurry up and see their dad, because he’s not going to be around for long".
While the victims were leaving in the car, the defendant started a chainsaw and said "may as well get you all with this".
In explanation Ray admitted making threats, but said he would never have gone through with them.
He claimed he intended to cut his own leg with the chainsaw.
Two weeks earlier Ray was in seclusion in the mental health unit at Southland Hospital when he told his nurse that he would kill her and her family.
He climbed up to the ceiling of the room and broke Gib, causing the room to be out of action for some time.
On another occasion at the unit the defendant jumped on the bathroom sink, causing it to come away from the wall.
He threw the sink around his room up to 15 times, the court heard.
During an appearance in the Invercargill District Court on March 23, Ray became aggressive while in a meeting room with a duty lawyer.
He headbutted the glass in the door, cracking it, and then shattered the pane with his leg.
"Just put it on my tab," Ray said.
Counsel Scott Williamson said the man’s poor mental health caused these offences.
"If [the defendant] is appropriately medicated, he’s quite sensible," he said.
"He’s not very happy about what he’s done or the person that he was."
Judge Duncan Harvey said the letter he received from Ray’s partner was "interesting and insightful".
"One of the reasons she decided she was going to report it to the police was so he could get the help he needed," he said.
Judge Harvey sentenced Ray to eight months’ imprisonment.
Due to his time already spent in custody, the defendant will be released almost immediately.
