Barry Delahunt pleaded guilty almost a year after the prolonged attack on the woman whom he also blamed for starting the fight. He was sentenced in the Nelson District Court to four years and 10 months in prison. Photo \/ Tracy Neal<\/p>\n
Crown prosecutor Jerome Lao said Delahunt had \u201cmultiple criminogenic\u201d features to his character, and was a person for whom life growing up was a mix of neglect and indiscriminate violence.<\/p>\n
Defence lawyer Emma Riddell said \u201cso much had gone on\u201d in his life it was little wonder he continued to offend.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what he\u2019s known,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
He was also someone for whom violence had become habitual and \u201cnormalised\u201d in intimate relationships, Judge Barkle said.<\/p>\n
Pleas entered almost a year after the assault<\/p>\n
Delahunt pleaded guilty almost a year after the prolonged attack on the woman<\/a> who he also blamed for starting the fight.<\/p>\n He admitted last October a charge of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, two charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault on a person in a family relationship<\/a>, intentional damage and theft over $1000.<\/p>\n According to the summary of facts, Delahunt and the woman had been in a relationship for about two months.<\/p>\n At about 8am on the morning of November 2, 2024, the woman arrived at a friend\u2019s address where Delahunt had spent the night.<\/p>\n She noticed Delahunt and her friend in a vehicle about to leave the property and flagged them down. <\/p>\n Delahunt got out of the vehicle and walked over to her vehicle where an argument began. <\/p>\n As he leaned into the vehicle he headbutted her twice, breaking her nose. <\/p>\n Delahunt then ordered her to get into the passenger seat, kicking her repeatedly until she did.<\/p>\n He then got into the driver\u2019s seat and drove off with the woman while continuing to hit, abuse and threaten her.<\/p>\n Delahunt then pulled over outside a winery where the assault continued, as they searched for the vehicle\u2019s keys which Delahunt had thrown out of the vehicle, the summary said.<\/p>\n Kicked and punched while down<\/p>\n Delahunt then punched her until she fell to the ground, then kicked her so hard in the ribs, they broke and she was unable to breathe, Judge Barkle said.<\/p>\n He then dragged and kicked her into a small outhouse on the winery property where the assaults continued.<\/p>\n She was repeatedly kicked, punched and stomped on her arms, head, face and body, police said.<\/p>\n While in the outhouse, Delahunt caused extensive damage to the walls, plywood, and toilet. <\/p>\n The victim\u2019s blood was also left throughout the outhouse, police said. <\/p>\n The assaults continued for up to two hours, causing her to fear for her life on several occasions.<\/p>\n Delahunt also told her to \u201crun\u201d, telling her she \u201ctook the shots well\u201d and calling her insulting names.<\/p>\n The woman\u2019s injuries included a broken nose, broken ribs, bruises and cuts to her arms, face and body which required hospital treatment <\/a>several days later. <\/p>\n She later said she normally wouldn\u2019t report matters to the police but she did this time, because of the extreme violence.<\/p>\n Then, he took her $1800 savings<\/p>\n After the assault the pair then returned to an address where Delahunt got hold of the woman\u2019s $1800 in savings. He told her he would \u201cput it in a safe place\u201d for her, but left with the money and did not return.<\/p>\n He was later found by the police hiding in the roof of a house in Stoke, when he was arrested and charged, the summary of facts showed.<\/p>\n Judge Barkle said in setting an adjusted prison starting point of six years and nine months that he noted Delahunt\u2019s victim-blaming comments to a report writer.<\/p>\n He claimed to have headbutted the woman in retaliation for being assaulted by her first, Judge Barkle said.<\/p>\n