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A Hampstead man who strangled his partner while she begged him to stop, told her he was going to kill her.
Damien Johnson Campbell, 24, had earlier admitted assaulting his partner in their home in Papakura, Auckland, on February 9 and again on March 3 this year.
He came before Judge Dominic Dravitzki in the Ashburton District Court for sentencing this week on two charges of strangulation, two charges of family violence and one charge of threatening to kill.
Judge Dravitzki said Campbell pushed his partner onto a mattress on the ground when they got into an argument at about 1pm on February 9. He later threw her onto the floor, knelt on her stomach, and squeezed her neck for about a minute.
“She begged you to stop. You said: ‘I don’t care. I’m going to kill you’.”
The March 3 assault also occurred at the Auckland home. Campbell punched his partner’s head and face with a closed fist 10 or more times when she refused to let their son leave with him.
When she fell to the ground Campbell sat on be abdomen and strangled her for 10 – 20 seconds.
“The offending occurred in the context of the breakdown of the relationship – but does not excuse it. You acknowledged a number of times that you could have done things differently,” Judge Dravitzki said.
Campbell’s lawyer Douglas Brown said this was his first appearance before the court. He “reacted wrongly” on two occasions and was “incredibly remorseful”.
The relationship was now over and the parties lived on different islands.
Brown said Campbell had grown up in a home where there was domestic violence and may have experienced some himself.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Stuart Whyte said the starting point for sentencing should be 36 months in prison, before any discounts.
There was “sustained violence on two occasions” causing significant injuries and bruising, he said.
While the starting point for sentencing was “undoubtedly a term in prison”, Judge Dravitzki gave Campbell credit for an early guilty plea and remorse and said home detention was appropriate where there were no prior matters.
Campbell was sentenced to nine months and 14 days’ home detention, with special conditions to attend any courses and counselling for 12 months.
By Sharon Davis
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