Logan man Melakai Kepa slams ex-girlfriend, mum in terrifying attack

A Beenleigh court has heard of the terrifying moment a young man ran at his mother while armed with a knife before slamming her against a wall, holding her by the neck.

A young Logan man has faced sentence in court for a series of terrifying assaults he committed against his mother and ex-girlfriend while at a birthday party.

Melakai Kepa-New, 20, of Slacks Creek appeared in Beenleigh District Court via video-link from custody on Friday, August 5, and pleaded guilty to three counts of common assault and one of wilful damage.

The court heard the charges before the court related to an incident which unfolded at a birthday party on the evening of September 20 last year and involved Kepa-New, his mother, and his ex-girlfriend.

The prosecution said a disagreement between Kepa-New and his then-19-year-old ex-girlfriend escalated to a point where she hit him with an open hand to the shoulder.

He responded by grabbing her shirt collar and throwing her against the bedroom wall, yelling: “look what you made me do”.

Kepa-New’s mother burst into the room and saw her son holding his ex-girlfriend against the wall. She yelled at him and he turned his attention to her.

The court heard the young man then grabbed his mother, pushed her against the wall, and applied pressure to her throat.

He raised his fists, threatened her, and punched a hole in the wall beside her head. Others intervened and pulled him away, but it was not long before he reoffended.

Later that same night, the court heard Kepa-New ran in the direction of his mother while armed with a knife and pushed her against a wall once again, holding her by the neck and applying pressure.

Several people at the party began yelling at him and he released her after two minutes.

Police were called and found Kepa-New standing in the street holding a knife.

Defence barrister Jann Taylor asked Judge Craig Chowdhury to take into consideration her client did not initiate the heated conversation nor the physical violence that ensued between him and his ex-partner.

She said Kepa-New had owned up to his behaviour and, while his relationship with his mother was “a bit fractured”, his relationship with his ex-partner was “improving”.

Ms Taylor also noted Kepa-New’s youth, that he had pleaded guilty, and that his victims did not suffer “actual injuries”.

The young man had spent about 9.5 months in presentence custody by Friday.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said Kepa-New’s behaviour was unacceptable and sentenced him to 290 days’ imprisonment to be followed by 12 months’ probation.

He declared the 290 days he spent in presentence custody time served under the sentence.