A woman in a wheelchair says she fears for her life after her carer beat her up, a court has heard. 

Stephen James Ladbrook, 63, appeared in the Invercargill District Court last week after pleading guilty to assault, after it was amended from a more serious charge of assault with intent to injure. 

The defendant and victim had been living together in a van, and Ladbrook was the woman’s caregiver. 

On August 31, the two were drinking in the van when an argument broke out. 

Ladbrook grabbed the victim by the arms, pushed her against a window and twisted his knuckles into her head repeatedly. 

He then pushed the woman out of the van. 

She landed on her bottom and suffered lacerations. 

When police arrived, the defendant had left the house and the victim was holding tissues to her bleeding head. 

Ladbrook told police the victim had made up the assault and she might have fallen over. 

Court documents said the assault lasted 30 minutes, although the defendant disputed that. 

“I thought he was a good man but he is in fact controlling and narcissistic,” the victim said. 

She was worried Ladbrook would kill her. 

Counsel Keith Owen said it was a “lower level assault. 

“It certainly isn’t tidy behaviour by the defendant,” Owen said. 

His client had spent almost a month in custody while on remand, and he argued a short term of imprisonment would be sufficient punishment. 

The court heard Ladbrook’s last conviction was in 2008, and was also for violence. 

Judge Emma Smith did not agree the assault was minor. 

“It can’t be that low level if the assault lasted 30 minutes,” she said. 

“It is just cruel.” 

She sentenced Ladbrook to six weeks’ imprisonment, which saw him immediately released, and ordered him to pay court costs of $130. 

-Felicity Dear, Otago Daily Times