Warning: Story contains disturbing content
Daniel James Kelly (24) inflicted one of the hidings after returning home from a Stopping Violence course, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.
He previously pleaded guilty to strangulation and three representative charges of injuring with intent to injure.
Kelly’s violence also extended to animals and making threats to strangers.
In October last year, a woman saw him kick his pit bull mastiff while walking it in David St and asked him to stop.
Kelly called her an “old bitch” and said he would find out where she lived, then spat at her.
It was his behaviour across the preceding year, however, that Judge Kevin Phillips said was most serious.
In November 2020, Kelly argued with his victim before pushing her against a wall and squeezing her throat to the point where she was unable to breathe.
The defendant removed one hand from her throat only to punch her 10 times in the head.
The attack continued as he dragged her through the house by her hair, kicking her several times, then chasing her and slamming a door on her arm as she tried to escape.
The court heard Kelly squeezed the woman’s breasts violently throughout the assault, which only ended when his mother turned up.
On another occasion he kicked the victim in the crotch with such force that she was unable to urinate for two days.
A Stopping Violence programme appeared to have little impact on Kelly’s outlook.
After returning home from a session on October 12 he demanded the victim drive him somewhere.
When she declined, he pulled her to the floor by her hair and kicked her twice in the ribs.
Kelly dragged her through the house by her ankles and grabbed a hatchet, threatening to smash her car.
When that did not work, he took a kitchen knife with a 9cm blade, held it mere centimetres from her face and said he would stab her if she did not leave with him.
The final violent act came just days later during a car ride.
The woman stopped outside the South Dunedin police station and Kelly punched her in the head, before repeating the treatment a few minutes later when they reached their destination.
Counsel Brendan Stephenson accepted the prolonged bouts of violence and “a degree of degradation” associated with them.
He pointed to a psychological report which noted issues from which his client suffered, “rendering him less able to control his emotions and behaviours”.
Judge Phillips noted Kelly had previous convictions for violence in 2018 and 2017 and said there were no signs of remorse.
Kelly was jailed for three years 11 months and a protection order was made in favour of the victim.
