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

A man who discovered his L&P drink and Peanut Slab were missing became so enraged he stomped on his 13-year-old nephew’s back and punched him in the face as he screamed, “You took my Peanut Slab”.

The 43-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, appeared in the Whangārei District Court before Judge Philip Rzepecky on one charge of assault with intent to injure.

The court heard the man returned home around 6pm on June 16 and went to the fridge for a snack, only to find his treats gone.

He went into his 13-year-old nephew’s room, who was asleep and proceeded to stomp on his back three times while the child was lying down.

The teenager attempted to get up multiple times and each time was pushed down as the offender stood over him and threw three punches to his head.

As he continued to scream “You took my Peanut Slab!” he punched the boy with a closed fist to his eye, resulting in severe bruising and swelling.

Family members eventually intervened, however, the man continued to taunt the child from the driveway, calling him a “pussy” and “motherf*****”.

The defendant has a previous history of assault on a child dating back to 2005 and police prosecutor Ryan Cooper said this was a cowardly attack.

“The victim is a vulnerable young family member and it was an unprovoked attack … the assault continued for some time and that is a concern for us,” Cooper said.

“He has previous assaults on children … there seems to be a repeat pattern of his offending and he doesn’t seem to learn.”

The victim could not be contacted to provide views but Judge Rzepecky expressed his concern for the young person.

“You are a grown man inflicting violence on a child. I can only imagine the harm you have caused your young nephew,” Judge Rzepecky said.

The man was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/Ngātiwai/Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked freelance in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.