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Offender Databases Adam Goffe

Adam Clinton Goffe

Alias

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Offences

Repeatedly stabbed his partner with a bread knife before sawing at her neck in December 2007
Also threw his daughter across the kitchen, then tried to run his partner and a neighbour over with his van
One previous conviction for violent offending

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

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Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1972

Current Location

Prison

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to eight years in April 2008

Background
NZ Herald story here
A man who repeatedly stabbed his partner with a bread knife before sawing at her neck has been sentenced to eight years in prison. Adam Clinton Goffe pleaded guilty at Lower Hutt District Court in February to eight charges including wounding with intent to injure and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The Dominion Post Wednesday, 09 April 2008
Not content with running a knife through his former partner's neck, Adam Clinton Goffe took a running kick at her head and drove his van at her as she lay injured. Goffe's head hung low as he stood in the dock at Wellington District Court but last December 10 he had told his estranged partner she was going to die, and if not then, he would try again later.

Even his own lawyer, Chris Nicholls, said that it was probably the most serious form of violence short of killing her. Crown lawyer Jo Murdoch said it was "as bad as it gets".

The victim, Karina Taopua, was stabbed many times as Goffe rained blows on her with a large carving knife outside the Wainuiomata home they had shared. As a neighbour tried to help her, Goffe got in his van and drove on to the footpath and tried to run them both down. Though gravely injured, Ms Taopua had to rise and run.

Earlier, one of her friends had been stabbed in the back when she put him in a bear hug to restrain him, and he threw his 12-year-old daughter across the kitchen when she tried to stop him following her mother outside. He fled in his van and, in a police chase, he swerved at one officer to avoid road spikes and damaged two police cars. Even from prison Goffe had been able to send letters to Ms Taopua and the children, in further breach of the protection orders.

Goffe, 36, a truck driver, pleaded guilty to charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, wounding with intent to injure, two charges of assault with a weapon, two of breaching protection orders, and one each of dangerous driving and failing to stop for police. He has to serve at least half of the eight-year jail term Judge Peter Butler imposed. Goffe received a substantial discount off his sentence for pleading guilty and for remorse.

He is disqualified from driving for 18 months. Ms Taopua spent two weeks in hospital. The wound in her neck came within 10mm of cutting a main artery, which would have been fatal. She has a brain injury and her vision and mobility are impaired.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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