Father sentenced over school rage | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

Schools should be safe places for students and staff, says a Rotorua District Court judge.

Judge James Weir made the comment while sentencing Rotorua father Arthur Maulio, who threatened to smash doors and windows when he went to Rotorua Intermediate to watch his daughter get an award but found she was absent from assembly.

The 34-year-old, who has 36 previous convictions for violence, appeared in court yesterday for sentencing after previously pleading guilty to a charge of disorderly behaviour which was likely to cause violence and a charge of contravening a protection order.

Judge Weir sentenced Maulio to 200 hours' community work and 12 months' supervision and gave him a final prison warning.

The court was told previously that in 2006 a final protection order was issued in court listing Maulio's daughter as the protected person.

On December 2, Maulio went to Rotorua Intermediate to watch his daughter receive an award at assembly for athletic achievement.

But the girl did not attend the assembly and was in her classroom doing some school work.

Maulio went to the classroom with his wife and asked his daughter why she was not at the assembly. He said he became angry when she did not give a reasonable excuse.

Sensing her father's anger, the daughter ran away from him to the school office. Maulio followed his daughter to the office area.

His daughter, who was crying uncontrollably, went into a separate office with a staff member who tried to console her.

Maulio was enraged and demanded to be let into the office to see his daughter. Staff refused and he repeatedly swore at them.

Threatening to smash the doors and windows, he picked up a chair and held it up. Staff called police.

Maulio's daughter saw what her father was doing and became more frightened and hysterical.

Maulio was agitated but co-operated with police.

Although his daughter did not suffer any physical injuries she was terrified of her father and it took several staff to console her.

He told police he was angry as he had taken time off work to surprise his daughter by going to the school to see her get the award.

He had received a letter about the award the week before the assembly but his daughter didn't know she was getting an award.

Judge Weir said schools should be places where students felt safe and where teachers should not be abused by parents.

The judge said it was clear Maulio's daughter reacted the way she did because of her father's 36 previous convictions for violence, including assaults and threatening and disorderly behaviour.

Maulio's lawyer, Wiremu Te Are, said Maulio had moved from Auckland to Whakatane away from a lifetime of violence and gangs. He had moved to Rotorua to make a fresh start.

Maulio had over-reacted and he accepted the public had a right to know about his actions which had horrified his daughter and the school, Mr Te Are said.

After the sentencing Rotorua Intermediate principal Garry de Thierry told The Daily Post he hoped Maulio would learn some lessons from the sentence imposed.

Mr de Thierry said he hoped Judge Weir's comments about the importance of schools being a safe place for students and teachers would serve as a warning to parents.