A Mount Maunganui woman has been jailed for two years and one month for beating her stepdaughter and sending her to school with bruises and a fractured nose.

Tania Aparecida De Lima, 28, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today after earlier being found guilty at trial on charges of ill treatment/neglect of a child under-18 years, injuring with intent to injure, and assault on a child.

According to the summary of facts the 'significant” abuse of De Lima's six-year-old step daughter took place during a seven-month period from April 2012.

The girl had been living with her mother until she died of cancer in 2010. The girl then went into the care of her father.

Tania married the girl's father in 2011 after spending nine months in Europe before moving to Mount Maunganui in April 2012.

In late November 2012 Child, Youth and Family became involved after a parent noticed the young girl appearing at school with bruising to her body and face and an apparent broken nose.

'The evidence shows that over the seven month period she attended school on 14 different days with swelling to her nose, eyes, cheeks and ears. There were also scratches to other parts of her body,” says Judge Christopher Harding.

According to court documents the girl was hit when the father was not around and told not to inform her father, or she would be smacked again.

The assault charge relates to De Lima hitting the girl to the ground and pulling her back to her feet by her ears causing bruising.

Judge Harding says the nose injury came after De Lima forcefully hit the girl causing her to crash into a doorframe.

'When she was medically examined in November she was found to have a depressed nasal fracture.

'There is no evidence at the time that she was provided with medical attention.”

Lawyer Craig Tuck says De Lima was a young woman 'struggling in the deep end” with stress related issues and a sentence of home detention is appropriate.

Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones submitted a starting point of two and a half years jail – which Judge Harding agreed with.

'It appears that since she has been moved from you she has flourished, gained confidence and is now doing well. But clearly going to require surgery in the future for the injury and is clearly scarred by what has occurred,” says Judge Harding.

'There was limited evidence of you seeking help to assist in your parenting role.”

Aggravating features include the significant abuse, significant vulnerability on the girl, and the extended period of offending. Judge Harding reduced the lead sentence of ill treatment/neglect by five months.

On the ill treatment and injuring with intent charges De Lima was sentenced to two years and one month imprisonment. On the assault on a child charge she was sentenced to nine months imprisonment to run concurrently.