One of two early childhood centre workers assaulted by a parent in front of young children says her sense of safety at work has been “violently shattered” and she is still struggling to come to terms with what happened.
The woman spoke tearfully of the encounter in which she was punched, shoved and abused during the surprise attack last September.
The other victim was injured and required ongoing treatment.
Dana Ruby Pike, 37, is now on community detention and supervision after she was sentenced in the Nelson District Court on Friday for assault with intent to injure, common assault, criminal harassment, threatening behaviour and wilful trespass.
The victim, who spoke at the hearing, and who spoke on behalf of the other victim, said she was at the time entrusted with the care of tamariki, which was a role she carried out with commitment and pride.
“Last year, that sense of safety was violently shattered when without warning, you entered the daycare and assaulted, punched and shoved me,” the victim said.
The court heard that on September 15 last year, the two victims, who were both staff at the early childhood centre in Stoke, were together and talking about a child there.
According to the summary of facts, Pike, who had earlier been trespassed from the premises, rushed at the first victim, who was shoved against a wall, hitting her shoulder.
She fell to the ground, unable to move her arm and defenceless as Pike stood over her yelling.
As the victim tried to get up, she was kicked and punched in the face. She said the impact had been “significant and ongoing”, including the need for rehabilitation to correct torn tendons in her shoulder.
The second victim stepped in to help and was shoved in the attack before heading inside and locking the door, the court heard at Pike’s earlier plea appearance.
The first victim’s own child saw the attack and had developed “significant anxiety”.
“It was a violent act with lasting consequences,” she said in her statement.
The second victim said her sense of trust was overtaken by fear and chaos, including in the weeks and months that followed, as a place of warmth had become a place of high anxiety.
She was “shaken, angered and disgusted” that it happened in a place where Pike’s own child was in daycare.
Defence lawyer Ian Miller said it was clear that “significant harm” was caused.
He said aggravating features included Pike’s history, the fact she had offended while on bail and the state of her mental health.
Miller said Pike was undergoing psychiatric care, including for what she described as an underlying serious mental health condition, but there was no official diagnosis.
He said her behaviour that day had arisen from an idea she had “got in her head” about a perceived grievance involving an ex-partner.
Police said the attack had caused injuries, which had taken time to recover from, and it was an “unprovoked attack in a workplace”.
Prosecutor Rebecca Terry said it was ongoing in nature and what was also concerning was that Pike had returned later to watch the victim.
Judge Chris Macklin said the offending appeared to have arisen from a “perceived wrong” by the victim against Pike, in respect of her former partner.
He said Pike might have told the court she had taken steps to address the issues which led to the offending. However, there was no excuse for the kind of “persistent, aggressive and quite frankly, dangerous behaviour,” the judge said.
He said Pike’s misdeeds have had a long-lasting impact on all those affected.
The appropriate way to hold Pike to account, while making sure she got the help she needed and keeping the community safe from her “own worst impulses”, was the sentence he arrived at, he said.
Judge Macklin said prison would not address Pike’s underlying issues, and her children would be negatively impacted.
She was sentenced to six months’ community detention and 12 months’ intensive supervision on the lead charge of assault with intent to injure, with the threatening and harassment charges to be served at the same time.
She was convicted and discharged on the trespass charge and ordered to make a $500 emotional harm payment to the injured victim.
Pike was now also subject to judicial monitoring, which meant her progress would be overseen by the judge.
