Ex-partner’s abuse left woman fearing for her life

Thursday, 18 June 2026

A temporary protection order was not enough to stop a woman being abused psychologically, and physically, by her 42-year-old former partner.

The police Summary of Facts for the case, presented in the Timaru District Court on Tuesday, said the defendant sent the victim multiple text messages and voice recordings threatening to physically assault her and calling her hurtful names.

“As a result of these messages, the victim’s mental health has been significantly impacted, and she remains fearful about the defendant’s unpredictable behaviour,” it said.

Waimate man Hamish Aachen Low pleaded guilty to two representative family violence charges of breaching protection orders using physical and psychological abuse. A representative charge means a string of similar offences committed by the same person.

Low also pleaded guilty to a charge of refusing to assist with information in a device search.

The summary said Low also threatened to kill himself multiple times while on phone calls, and in text messages, to the victim if she stopped talking to him.

Low’s messages to the victim began three days after a temporary protection order was served on him.

The bulk of the messages are so abusive, and profanity laden, they cannot be published.

Numerous messages, voice and text, were sent between October 19 and November 15, 2025.

Several contained threats of violence including a threat to stab the victim. One said “I cmn [coming] for u…”, while another promised the victim “the meanest black eyes, the biggest hiding you’ve ever had in your life … I swear to god you’re going to regret it”.

The summary said Low believed the victim was in another romantic relationship, and on one occasion threatened to kill a new boyfriend, later adding he was going to kill himself.

The pair met up on November 15, and drove to Timaru.

Low refused to get out of the car, and the victim felt she had no other choice but to keep driving.

On the return journey Low continued to yell, demanding she stay with him while punching the dash of the victim’s vehicle.

At the defendant’s address, the victim told Low she did not want to stay overnight, and he pushed her down, telling her she was not going anywhere, and adding he would smash her car up so she could not leave if she tried to.

Low grabbed her, and threw her on the bed, reiterating she could not leave, and the summary said the victim was told he wanted to give her a hiding.

The victim was pushed down on the bed during attempts to get away before managing to run out the door of the room. She was chased, and grabbed outside before getting free, and running to her parked car.

“The defendant stopped chasing the victim as her car was parked outside the boundary of his electronic monitoring bracelet.

“During this altercation, the victim feared for her life, and felt like the defendant was never going to let her leave.”

The victim suffered bruising on both of her arms.

When Low was arrested on November 24, he struggled with a police officer during the process, and had to be “taken down” on a bed.

“While on the bed the defendant continued to try and reach for different items around the room to try and get away from the officers.”

Low also refused a police request to provide a pass code for his cellphone.

Judge Savage convicted Low, and remanded him back in custody to July 1 for sentencing.