Tane Tamihana Tukutahi Paki jailed for savage attack on girlfriend for taking ‘too long to get dressed’

A South West meth addict bit his girlfriend on the face, slapped and choked her in public because he was angry at how long it took her to get ready for a night out. The savage attack by Tane Tamihana Tukutahi Paki on his partner of five years in November 2019 was not the only shocking act of domestic violence he inflicted upon her. WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT A protection order failed to stop him choking her again 18 months later after another argument. The second attack was even more vicious with Paki choking his partner so severely she nearly passed out. Both attacks were only stopped when bystanders intervened. The 20-year-old will spend more than a year behind bars after he was convicted in Busselton Magistrate’s Court on 17 charges including stealing, assault, breaching police and protective orders and dangerous driving to escape pursuit. The string of offences began in November 2019 when Paki assaulted his partner of five years for the first time after arguing over the time she took to get ready for a night out. The verbal argument turned physical as he bit her cheek and nose several times, choked and slapped her, which continued until bystanders intervened and Paki was arrested. Almost 18 months later he assaulted her again, despite being issued a protection order to keep him away, when he choked her after a verbal argument and had to be restrained by bystanders once again. In April last year, he stole keys to a Nissan Patrol and took the car for a joy ride, however, when police attempted to pull him over he refused to comply. During the high-speed car chase through Busselton, Paki drove on the wrong side of the road and mounted verges before abandoning the car to flee. Paki also stole more than $1000 of valuables from shops including Aldi, Hillzeez and Sportspower over a 12-month period. Defence lawyer Rhonda Parks told the court Paki’s offending had arisen from his homelessness and significant drug addiction. “A lot of this has arisen out of Mr Paki’s homelessness, his inability to get employment and obviously significant drug usage,” she said. “This is his first experience of prison life and it’s been a sobering lesson. “A suspended imprisonment order would give him the incentive not to engage in these acts of violent offending.” “He’s a young man and has plenty to learn and get his life in some sort of order in order to avoid situations like this to continue.” Magistrate Benjamin Tyers said the mitigating factors were not enough to save Paki from immediate prison time. “Because of the serious nature of the offences, despite your youth and plea of guilty, they are all serious enough to warrant terms of imprisonment,” he said. “You need to learn the lesson that this type of behaviour simply won’t be tolerated by the community, nor the courts. “You impeded (the victim’s) breathing long enough that she was lapsing into unconsciousness, it would have been terrifying for her.” “The other (dangerous driving) incident in my view was very serious involving extreme danger to the community and it’s aggravated by the fact you stole the keys.” Paki will spend 15 months behind bars, was fined $2000 and must pay $1000 in compensation.