Christmas 2023 will not be one Raymond Whakahau Tamatahuta Henare remembers fondly.

A family barbeque with neighbours and friends at Henare’s home ended badly for everyone on December 25 last year, when the enjoyable day turned into a brawl after the 35-year-old got into an argument with his partner.

The Ashburton District Court this week heard a neighbour came to intervene and object to the way Henare was treating his parter, Henare pushed her. The neighbour fell to the ground and Henare climbed on top of her to continue fighting. At this point a second neighbour intervened.

Henare knocked him over. During the struggle with Henare, the man suffered a deep cut to his right forehead when his head hit the road. He was taken to Ashburton Hospital.

After the struggle Henare left. But he returned a while later and stopped outside an address about 400m from his home and threatened the occupants.

“Come outside. I’m going to stab the lot of you,” Henare is reported to have said.

He appeared for sentencing in the Ashburton District Court on Monday on two charges of assault and one of threatening behaviour.

Henare was initially charged with impeding breathing and has been in custody since Christmas day.

Judge Dominic Dravitzki said Henare had previous convictions, but none for violence.

Henare had been in jail for almost five months –which was the equivalent of a 10-month jail sentence.

“I going to give you the opportunity to live at home but it will be monitored carefully. I’m only doing that because of the time you spent in prison,” the judge said.

Henare was sentenced to 18 months’ Intensive supervision with judicial monitoring.

His release conditions include not to possess any alcohol or drugs that are not prescribed, not to contact his victims, and to attend programmes and counselling as directed by probation.

By Sharon Davis