Judge Tomlinson questioned the point of the dispute, given the summary was not likely to become an issue until at least 2041, when Morunga is first eligible for parole on the murder charge.
Referring to media in court, Creamer told the judge, “I think the delicacy might be in how it might be reported.”
Judge Tomlinson allowed an adjournment, and when the case was ready to be recalled 90 minutes later, Creamer confirmed Morunga disputed two claims – that he went through the victim’s dirty laundry, questioning why it contained so much underwear and that he accused her of sleeping with other men because of it.
Judge Tomlinson said the disputes would not affect the sentence but were formally recorded to preserve Morunga’s position should they ever become an issue, such as for propensity, in future.
The court heard a protection order had been in place since November 2023 but related to a past partner. On July 10, 2024, Morunga phoned the woman without approval then went to her home about 10pm.
She was in bed with her young child, with whom Morunga insisted on playing video games. The woman asked him to leave.
She went to the bathroom, and when she came out, Morunga punched her in the side of the face in front of the child, who began crying. The blow left her dizzy, and she fell into a bedside table, hitting her elbow. Her jaw and elbow were swollen and bruised for the next few days.
The summary of facts records claims that Morunga went through her washing and made accusations about her clothing – the aspects he disputes.
Morunga returned the following morning, entering the house uninvited and apologising before leaving. He later made threatening and abusive phone calls to her, for which he was charged representatively.
Judge Tomlinson described both the assault and the protection order breaches as serious, stressing that the court needed to respond firmly.
“If the court does not mark breaches sternly, they lose their impact,” he said.
The judge noted Morunga had previous relevant convictions for breaching release conditions and for breaching a protection order in 2022, with multiple other incidents of non-compliance.
Anaru Morunga appeared before Judge Gene Tomlinson in Whangārei District Court.
Judge Tomlinson said each of the breaches and the assault in this case were “pretty serious”.
He set a starting point of four months’ imprisonment for the assault but noted that had Morunga not already been in jail, it might not have resulted in a prison term.
However, coupled with that and with the breaches for which there needed to be a significant uplift – eight months – a starting point of 12 months’ imprisonment was appropriate, the judge said.
He applied two months’ discount for guilty pleas and a further month reduction for “significant” causal background factors – Morunga’s poor upbringing and exposure as a young person to a range of adverse circumstances, which had led to his having contact with mental health services.
“It’s informative to me of your decision-making and this offending,” Judge Tomlinson said.
Morunga’s lack of control and structure in his life had led to him trying to create control by dominating others, using violence, the judge said.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent reporting on the courts in Gisborne and the East Coast.