Former jet-sprint world champ jailed for assault
A former world champion jet-sprinter has been jailed after dragging his partner by her hair and smashing her face into the floor.
David Raymond Hopkins, 59, of Milton, appeared in the Dunedin District court this week after earlier admitting two charges of assault in a family relationship, breaching a protection order, intimidation and wilful damage.
Hopkins won titles in World SuperBoat jetsprinting in the 2010s.
The court heard that on November 9, 2023, the defendant's on-off partner of 10 years sent him a text saying she wanted to break up.
At 7pm that day, an agitated Hopkins arrived at their shared family home where the woman accused him of cheating on her.
A verbal argument turned physical when the defendant hit the woman in the face multiple times causing her mouth to bleed.
She picked up her phone to call for help, but Hopkins snatched it from her and snapped it in half.
He then grabbed her by the hair and dragged her from the kitchen to the spare room where he forced her head into the floor.
While she was on the ground, he kicked her in the chest and back and said he was going to kill her, and he knew how to hide a body.
Judge David Robinson said while the relationship was "toxic" on both sides, Hopkins still failed to accept he had done anything wrong.
A pre-sentence report said he "fails to see any wrongdoing on his part" and "there is a lack of insight in terms of what happened".
This was the third time Hopkins had been before the court in relation to the same victim and he had convictions dating back to 2006.
The judge accepted there were indications the victim could be "manipulative" but said that did not excuse the defendant's behaviour.
"Your position can't be characterised as anything but victim blaming," the judge said.
In a statement to the court, the victim said she suffered pain in her muscles and bones as a result of the attack and thinking about it gave her anxiety.
Judge Robinson sentenced Hopkins to 21 months' imprisonment and considered home detention "entirely inappropriate" as it was insufficient to denounce his behaviour or deter him from reoffending.
felicity.dear@odt.co.nz , Court reporter
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