A NEW Zealand man who attacked his former partner with scissors, cutting her face while coming down from an “ice bender”, will spend nine months and three weeks behind bars.
Robert Broughton, 37, appeared via video-link in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to be sentenced for serious aggravated assaults and breaches of an intervention order.
The prosecution said the most serious incident occurred on December 22 in Kingston when the victim and defendant became involved in an argument.
After becoming increasingly agitated, Broughton allegedly pushed the victim onto a couch before slapping and punching her.
The prosecution alleges he then threatened the victim with more violence.
“If I’m going to jail, I might as well make it worth it,” he said to the victim.
The victim managed to run out of the house, however when she turned around she saw Broughton holding a pair of scissors.
He lunged towards her, causing three large lacerations.
Police and paramedics arrived on the scene to find the victim covered in blood.
The court heard Broughton could not recall the assaults because he was coming down from “ice”.
“He remembers his partner waking him up and wanting to drive to Adelaide to buy more drugs,” the defendant’s lawyer said.
“After that he has no memory of the incident.”
Broughton also breached an intervention order, which is in place to prevent him from being in company with the victim.
He was also charged with breaching the same intervention order on November 22 when the pair were found in each other’s company.
The defendant’s lawyer indicated her client wanted to return to New Zealand after serving his sentence.
“He has detoxified in prison and wants to stay clean,” the defendant’s lawyer said.
Magistrate Teresa Anderson said although there was no information to suggest the scissor cuts were penetrative, the offending was still serious.
She sentenced Broughton to nine months and three weeks imprisonment, which would be backdated to start on December 22.
