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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