A playful food fight over the family dinner table ended with a Horowhenua man throwing a dinner plate at his stepson’s head and smashing his partner’s phone.

Stephen John Montford pleaded guilty in the Levin District Court on Wednesday to male assaults female, behaving threateningly and intentional damage – all related to the June 12 incident.

He was intoxicated when he, his partner and her son sat down for dinner that evening, as he had been drinking since noon. 

Judge Lance Rowe said “what started out as a playful flicking of food at your stepson” turned into “something of a dispute”.

Montford threw an empty beer bottle at his partner, which hit its target, before throwing items around the room.

One of the items was a dinner plate, which he threw at his stepson’s head.

His partner started taking photos of the damage on her cellphone.

When he saw that, he smashed the phone on the ground.

Defence lawyer Sue Insley said  Montford had flicked butter at his stepson, and was then slapped by his partner.

“In Mr Montford’s words, he lost the plot.”