Mormon dad beat daughter over her refusal to follow his faith, court told

The New Zealand Herald - July 9, 2009

Man beat daughter over church refusal, court told

A 55-year-old man who beat his daughter over the head with a lump of concrete when she refused to go to his Mormon church "does not understand what all the fuss is about", Hastings District Court has heard.

Uluia Muliipu appeared in court after pleading guilty to one count of assault with intent to injure.

Judge Geoff Rea said on February 22 this year Muliipu had become involved in an argument with his daughter who refused to attend church.

He chased her down the street and back into the house picking up a lump of concrete along the way.

He then whacked her over the head in a bedroom with the concrete causing skin on her head to split and start bleeding.

They were both "covered in blood" and he kicked her in the face causing bruising.

"When police arrived you told them your daughter was lucky you did not kill her," Judge Rea said.

He took his shirt off and ran into the laundry where he attempted to rinse the blood out of the shirt.

When told by police to desist he continued rinsing the shirt and blocking their way before he was pepper sprayed.

His daughter was taken to Hawke's Bay Hospital with head injuries.

Defence lawyer Roger Stone told the court Muliipu had been angry his daughter refused to go to church.

He had been under stress before the incident.

He was a "proud" man who was "disappointed" his daughter had elected not to follow his Mormon faith.

Mr Stone said blood on Muliipu's shirt came from him hugging his daughter just before police arrived at his house.

Judge Rea said a probation officer's report made "grim reading" because he "still does not understand what all the fuss is about".

He had been ejected from an anger management course because of his views and had an inability to understand "whacking someone on the head is unacceptable".

In the circumstances there was only one response and that was imprisonment. Muliipu was sentenced to 12 months in jail.

This article was found at:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10583411