Weekly beatings began while locked down in shearers’ quarters during Covid-19

WARNING: This story deals with domestic violence and may be upsetting.

Trapped in shearing quarters during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, Eruera Peratiaki’s anger erupted over minor issues, including how other men looked at his partner as she brought in the laundry off the line.

The black eyes and split lips occurred each week they were in lockdown, mostly when Peratiaki was drunk, and punched the woman in the face.

The violence escalated to a level where she was twice knocked unconscious, including when her head was slammed head-first into concrete when Peratiaki picked her up and dropped her on the road after she had tried to run to the Nelson Police Station for help.

The violence which has followed the victim from Hastings, to Auckland to Nelson was finally halted in the Nelson District Court today when Peratiaki was remanded in custody.

The 22-year-old was convicted after he admitted three representative charges and several separate charges of assaulting a person in a family relationship, two charges of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, plus further charges of assault with intent to injure, intimidation, and strangulation.

The police summary said the pair began a relationship in December 2019, having met about a month before.

The violence toward the victim began about three months later while staying in shearing quarters in Hastings during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.

Peratiaki struck her in the face with a closed fist, splitting her lip and bruising her face after he confronted her about how other men might have been looking at her while she collected the washing.

The beatings occurred regularly each week, mostly when Peratiaki was drunk.

A family member took the woman from the shearing quarters after she told a friend about the assaults.

Peratiaki promised he would change and stop drinking, stop the assaults, and get counselling.

They continued their relationship and moved to Auckland, but the assaults continued almost weekly for the three months they were there.

Each Tuesday Peratiaki would drink with his cousins, return drunk and assault his partner by punching her in the face with a closed fist.

After about three months Peratiaki left Auckland and the woman fled to her family in Hamilton.

The pair kept in contact during the next 11 months and in September 2021 she agreed to move to Nelson where Peratiaki had moved, to continue the relationship.

She believed he had changed in the time they’d been apart, the police summary said.

The beatings resumed the night she arrived in Nelson, but they were worse this time.

Peratiaki was drinking when he bumped his drink on his partner’s knee causing it to spill, and accused her of “spilling his drink on purpose”.

He began to punch the woman, striking her around the head and face and causing a black eye.

Not once did she arrive at her factory job without bruising to her face for the month she worked there, the summary said.

Around October 2021 the victim had prepared dinner and took it back to their room in the hostel where they were staying, to find Peratiaki angry and holding her cell phone.

He then smashed it on the bed frame, breaking it, and fearing for her safety she left the room.

Peratiaki chased her and dragged her into a room where he kicked her ankles so hard she was swept off her feet, and onto the ground with considerable force.

“Using one foot, with his other braced to provide power he stomped hard on the victim’s head causing her to immediately lose consciousness,” police said.

As Peratiaki carried the unconscious woman back to their room he told a concerned staff member the woman was “fine” but drunk.

He placed her in the shower, and when she regained consciousness he told her, “It’s all right my darling, I’ll clean you”, as he saw water from the shower washing blood down the drain.

About two weeks later the victim’s father took her home to Hamilton.

She kept in touch with Peratiaki who said again he had changed, that he’d stopped drinking, and would soon be starting counselling.

In January last year the woman moved back to Nelson to continue the relationship.

Four days later on January 15, 2022, she was once more seriously assaulted while staying at backpacker accommodation near the Nelson Police Station.

Peratiaki, who’d been drinking since about midday, was suddenly angry when he could not get a vape charging cable to work.

The woman saw the signs, and left in fear, toward the police station, but Peratiaki reached her before she could get to safety, despite her efforts to dodge him by running behind a parked vehicle.

Afraid of his angry accusations she was “going to snitch” she followed Peratiaki, past the police station entrance and out of sight.

Peratiaki then grabbed her by the shoulders and kneed her hard twice to the chest.

He picked her up off the ground and lifted her to the level of his chest, so she was horizontal and then forcefully drove her headfirst into the concrete roadway, causing her to immediately lose consciousness, “like a switch was turned off”.

A man who heard the commotion and saw what happened was threatened by Peratiaki, but he managed to get around a corner and dial emergency services.

Peratiaki couldn’t move the woman so he fled. She was found by the police and taken to a safe house.

The cycle of violence continued after she returned to him.

The police said during the course of their relationship, the woman was strangled by Peratiaki about 20 times, each time to the point she was unable to breathe.

At the time he was arrested and charged, Peratiaki claimed the victim was “angry at him for cheating previously” and that he now had a new partner.

Peratiaki was to be sentenced in July.

FAMILY VIOLENCE

How to get help: If you're in danger now: • Phone the police on 111 or ask neighbours or friends to ring for you.
• Run outside and head for where there are other people. Scream for help so your neighbours can hear you.
• Take the children with you. Don't stop to get anything else.
• If you are being abused, remember it's not your fault. Violence is never okay.
Where to go for help or more information:
• Women's Refuge: Crisis line - 0800 REFUGE or 0800 733 843 (available 24/7)
• Shine: Helpline - 0508 744 633 (available 24/7)
• It's Not Ok: Family violence information line - 0800 456 450
• Shakti: Specialist services for African, Asian and Middle Eastern women and children.
• Crisis line - 0800 742 584 (available 24/7)
• Ministry of Justice: For information on family violence
• Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services
• White Ribbon: Aiming to eliminate men's violence towards women.
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