What started as a playful tap on the cheek as they watched Netflix ended with a man punching a woman and knocking her down before stabbing a knife into the floor around her head.

He later kicked an emergency doctor in the groin, after he was taken to Nelson Hospital for assessment because of his level of intoxication, causing the doctor to reel away in pain.

Leonard Jaron Timoteo Walterfang admitted the charges that arose from the violent incident in the Nelson District Court and has since been sentenced.

‘A few drinks’

On April 1 last year, Walterfang and the woman were relaxing in front of the television after having a few drinks.

In Walterfang’s case, it was “two to three bottles of wine”, the police summary of facts said.

As they watched TV the woman joked with Walterfang and tapped him on the cheeks in a playful manner.

He got angry and suddenly slapped her hard in the face.

She was so shocked she asked him to leave, which enraged him further.

Police said the altercation continued to the hallway and outside the kitchen where he punched the woman with a closed fist twice in the stomach.

She fell backwards onto the ground as Walterfang walked to the kitchen and grabbed a knife.

He then thrust the knife into the floor near her head multiple times while smiling at her.

Fearing she would be stabbed, the woman managed to get away and call the police.

Walterfang held the knife in a threatening and intimidating matter as she called police.

He then put the knife down, sat on the couch and waited for the police to arrive.

He was arrested and taken to Nelson Hospital for assessment because of how intoxicated he was, but while being assessed he kicked the doctor in the groin.

Walterfang was removed from the emergency department and kicked a police constable hard in the shin while being escorted to a patrol car.

Police said at the time the woman did not appear to have any injuries, but expected bruising might have shown in the days following.

The 35-year-old received 150 hours of community work, 18 months of intensive supervision and was ordered to pay $1000 in reparation on various assault charges, including assaulting police and assaulting a person assisting the police.

Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.