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Mum stole paper round money, punched girl

By MICHELLE DUFF – Manawatu Standard | Tuesday, 16 December 2008

A woman who demanded her 9-year-old daughter’s paper round money before punching her in the back of the head did it because she was “stressed”, a court has heard.

The 34-year-old solo mother pleaded guilty to a charge of assault on a child in Dannevirke District court yesterday, for the incident on December 1.

The court heard how at 9am, the Dannevirke beneficiary stormed into her daughter’s room and demanded the cash the girl had made from her paper run.

When she refused the woman began to shout, and an argument ensued.

As the girl left the bedroom the woman followed her down the hallway and punched her in the back of the head with a closed fist, the court was told.

The girl fell to the ground where the woman began kicking her “numerous times” in the back, before she managed to scramble up and out of the house.

She ran to an address down the road, where police were called.

When spoken to by police the woman admitted all the evidence given by her daughter was true, and said in her defence: “I have been really stressed about a lot of things, and I just lost it.”

The girl was removed from the home by Child, Youth and Family, and is staying with an aunt. It was a condition of the woman’s bail she have no contact with her daughter and refrain from consuming alcohol, the court heard.

Judge Jennifer Binns convicted the woman of assault, remanding her for sentencing until February 26 so a victim impact statement could be prepared.

She amended the bail conditions so the woman could see her daughter in supervised visits. “I’ve seen these cases before, and sometimes it’s detrimental if there is no contact at all.”

The maximum sentence is two years’ imprisonment.