A summary of facts read in court said one day last year, the boys arrived at school early to play with a ball but when one threw it at his brother\u2019s head, they got into a fight.<\/p>\n
They were restrained by school staff and the parents were advised what had happened.<\/p>\n
When the boys, both aged under 10 , returned home after school, their father asked whether they had got in trouble that day.<\/p>\n
They said they hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
The man got angry because they were lying and smacked one of them across the face several times, causing his face to redden.<\/p>\n
He then punched him in the shoulder before kicking both boys in the legs and stomach.<\/p>\n
During the assault he pulled one boy\u2019s ear until it turned red, lifted one boy off the ground by the hair and threw him over a set of drawers.<\/p>\n
He also grabbed the other son by the throat and choked him against the wall.<\/p>\n
The father was yelling and swearing throughout and then directed them to fight each other.<\/p>\n
\u201cOut of fear, they began to physically fight, as two brothers, and they punched each other in the face and you threatened to punch them if they stopped fighting,\u201d Judge Philip Rzepecky said.<\/p>\n
While this was occurring, the father filmed them fighting and sent it to their mother at work.<\/p>\n
After the fight the father asked if they wanted to do it again and they responded \u201cno\u201d.<\/p>\n
The victims were left with bruising, a sore face, difficulty breathing and one had a bloody nose.<\/p>\n
\u2018Control and dominance\u2019<\/p>\n
The father\u2019s lawyer Connor Taylor said his client did not grow up in an environment where he would be given the proper tools to be a father. <\/p>\n
But since his arrest, the father had completed four parenting courses and voluntarily enrolled in a fifth six-week wellbeing programme.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was 25 at the time of offending and coupled with being a young parent. I think that needs to be recognised, sir, because being a parent\u2019s one of the hardest jobs in the world. It\u2019s stressful. You don\u2019t have the tools,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n
But Judge Rzepecky interrupted him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some things about the offending, getting the boys to fight and taking a video and sending it to his partner, I think that was quite bizarre behaviour,\u201d Judge Rzepecky pointed out.<\/p>\n
The father has since completed four parenting courses. Photo \/ NZME<\/p>\n
Taylor agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very bizarre and very unusual behaviour. Exerting control and dominance over the boys through the boys in a way,\u201d Taylor said.<\/p>\n
Despite that, Taylor said the father had good wh\u0101nau support, was skilled at what he did for a living and was working hard on himself.<\/p>\n
Lance Jones, from Safe Man Safe Family<\/a>, addressed the court and said the man was one of the few willing to engage in tough conversations.<\/p>\n \u201cHe knows that this journey is for the rest of his life,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n The father had completed a restorative justice session with his children and Judge Rzepecky said it was a moving report.<\/p>\n \u201cIt shows a much better man than the one involved in the violence against the children.\u201d <\/p>\n