'Street angel, home devil': Mother who was bashed and strangled by her crossfit gym-owner partner reveals how she feared for her life during attack
- The victim of a brutal assault from her former partner has hit out at his sentence
- Tyson Hepi Tehuia was sentenced to 18 months prison with immediate parole
- He pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm of his ex-partner
- Now Krista Hepi-Tehuia has spoken out about her ordeal and the sentence
A mother-of-six who was bashed and strangled by her former partner of 17 years as she lay in bed has spoken out after he pleaded guilty but was given immediate parole.
The Bundaberg District Court heard how crossfit gym-owner Tyson Karapa Hepi Tehuia, 39, dragged his former partner Krista Hepi-Tehuia out of bed by her hair before grabbing her by the throat and smashing her head into a wall in July 2017.
After she fell to the floor from the blow to her head the court heard how Tehuia picked her up and threw her back into the bed.
Krista Hepi-Tehuia, a mother who was bashed and strangled by her former partner Tyson Karapa Hepi Tehuia (pictured) as she lay in bed has spoken out after he pleaded guilty but was given immediate parole
The Bundaberg District Court heard how Tehuia, 39, dragged his former partner Krista Hepi-Tehuia out of bed by her hair before grabbing her by the throat and smashing her head into a wall in July 2017
She was left with blurred vision and had trouble breathing as Tehuia threatened to kill her, the News Mail reported.
Now Mrs Hepi Tehuia has spoken out about her estranged husband being granted immediate parole.
'There is something seriously wrong with these violent offenders strangling women and getting immediate parole,' she said.
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'What message is that sending.'
She was left disgusted that her husband's past work as a chaplain and community pastor was used to try and reduce his punishment or paint him in a more positive light.
'How is any of that relevant when he strangled his wife and threatened to kill her, makes me sick to think he can walk on parole, while I am left to suffer with PTSD,' she said.
'It's such a disappointment that people defend perpetrators of DV. People should know that the most horrific DV happens behind closed doors.
'They don't know the "real" Tyson - Tyson is a street angel, home devil.'
Mrs Hepi Tehuia (pictured) has hit out at her ex-partner getting immediate parole after he was found guilty of assault occasioning bodily harm after strangling her and slamming her into a wall
Tehuia plead guilty to the charge of assault occasioning bodily harm and was sentenced to 18 months jail with immediate parole.
The former chaplain now runs a CrossFit gym in Bundaberg and spent two years as the Bundaberg State High School chaplain.
Defence barrister Steven Kissick argued his client's time as a high school chaplain and now as a gym owner was a sign of his 'worthwhile contribution to the community'.
Meanwhile the crown prosecutor argued the relationship between Tehuia was a 'volatile' one.
'The complainant could not breathe at the time,' Judge Moynihan said.
'You threatened to kill your partner and you smashed her head against the wall a number of times before she fell to the ground.
'You then picked her up and threw her on the bed... she felt pins and needles in her face, suffered blurred vision, and she thought she was going to die.'
Tehuia plead guilty to the charge of assault occasioning bodily harm and was sentenced to 18 months jail with immediate parole
