Trial over hitting nephew with pillow

A Wellington man who hit his nephew on the head with a sofa cushion has been committed for jury trial, charged with assault on a child.

The assault allegedly took place last New Year’s Eve, following an argument whether the boy’s mother was being too overprotective of her children, she told Wellington District Court today.

Though no injury was found on the boy from the alleged assault with the small decorative cushion and she said did not see the actual attack happen, it was “definitely not” just a pillowfight, she said.

The boy’s mother admitted she had used physical violence to discipline her son in the past.

Defence counsel Paul Knowsley questioned the mother over a story her son told a police officer during a filmed, evidential interview.

The boy told the police officer his uncle had once used a sword to battle gangsters in a local park.

“Some children have a tendency to tell stories … [the six-year-old] comes into this category,” she said.

Speaking from behind a protective screen shielding him from the accused, the boy told the court the pillow-hit had not really hurt and he felt no ill-will toward his uncle.

The boy said he had been hit on the top of the head and was not sore afterward.

During his appeal to the presiding Justices of the Peace to have the case dismissed, Mr Knowsley repeatedly asked whether he was dreaming.

“It is almost bizarre you can hear repeated admissions that the child has been repeatedly hit by his own parents but that this is going to a full jury case. Frankly, it’s preposterous,” he said.

After re-confirming his not guilty plea, the alleged attacker was remanded on bail to an address in Wanganui, though his bail conditions stated he was not allowed to drink at all or have any contact with his sister’s family.

He would reappear in Wellington District Court for a full jury trial on September 22.

– HAMISH STUART/NZPA