Identities of shocking domestic violence offenders sentenced in SA courts

From brutal stabbings to victims forced to play dead to escape horrific attacks, these are some of the SA domestic violence offenders who have been sentenced in court in the past two years.

Dozens of domestic abusers have been sentenced in South Australian courts for appalling acts of violence in the past two years.

SA Police Senior Sergeant Sharon Walker-Roberts said domestic violence, by its nature, was disempowering and damaging to victims.
“Each DV incident/report is initially dealt with by front line responders according to the individual circumstances and the assessed risk to the victim,” she said.
“In all cases, police are required to take positive action to prevent an escalation of violence, to meet the safety needs of victims and children, and to hold an offender accountable for their actions.”
Snr-Sgt Walker-Roberts said officers responding to abusers could report or arrest them pr refuse bail to try to stop their behaviour.

“The action police take should be in balance with the type and severity of offending,” she said.

However, she noted “some domestic violence-related behaviours do not meet the threshold of criminal offending and court action is not possible”.

Police can refer people to voluntary support services but only the courts can direct offenders to attend mandatory behaviour change programs, such as those run by the Correctional Services Department for about 200 men a year.
These are some of the horrific domestic violence cases to go through SA courts recently and the sentences the perpetrators received.

Luke Calverley

Luke Calverley. Photo: Facebook

A rugby talent’s horrific domestic violence rampage involved choking and bashing his partner until she lost consciousness, a court heard.

Luke Wayne Calverley, 38, was jailed for over two years after the mother of his two children was forced to play dead to escape him.

During sentencing, the court heard Calverley and his partner returned to their Crystal Brook home in the early hours of January 1, 2020, following New Year’s celebrations in Port Pirie.

“You grabbed her arm and placed your hands around her throat … you squeezed while pushing her head into the hall,” Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said.

Police attended but the victim dropped the charges as she wanted to work on their relationship.

The court heard Calverley then choked the victim for around 30 seconds in April 2020.

Calverley then pushed her into the doorframe and grabbed her hair, ripping out a chunk of it.

He pushed her to the ground and began punching her.

“You kicked her repeatedly to her legs, back and stomach, she vomited due to the force of your kicking,” Auxiliary Judge Barrett said.

The victim tried to flee but Calverley caught her and drove her head into a fireplace, causing her to lose consciousness.

When she came to, Calverley continued to strangle and punch her – threatening that if she tried to escape again, he’d kill her and she would not see her children.

“She pretended to play dead … when she heard you go to the toilet she ran out of the house to a neighbouring property, screaming for help,” Auxiliary Judge Barrett said.

The victim was hospitalised for four days, suffering bruising and red marks around her neck.

Calverley, of Hackham, pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent and choking.

Calverley was sentenced to two years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and six months.

The sentence was backdated to December 14.

Sean Black

Sean Black. Photo: Facebook

A martial arts teacher threatened to kill his former partner and choked her unconscious in a sickening attack, before trying to manipulate her to drop the charges.

Sean Dylan Black, 46, was fuelled by jealous rage when he committed the reign of terror.

The District Court heard Black and the victim ended their relationship in February 2020.

However, Black entered her house through a manhole in the ceiling on March 7, 2020.

The victim asked Black to leave.

“You started asking the victim who she was sleeping with and if she had been cheating on you,” Judge Heath Barklay said during sentencing.

After the victim told Black they were no longer in a relationship, he used his palm to hit her in the nose, causing her to bleed profusely.

“You threatened to kill her if she did not tell you who she had been sleeping with,” Judge Barklay said.

Black then pushed the victim to the ground and started choking her until she passed out.

The victim managed to break free and ran to the front door.

“You caught up with her, took her to the ground again and choked her unconscious,” Judge Barklay said.

The victim managed to call police and Black was arrested.

Black sent the victim various letters to the victim from custody in a “sustained, deliberate attempt” to try and convince her to drop the charges.

Black, of Salisbury Heights, pleaded guilty to unlawful choking and dissuading a witness from producing evidence at judicial proceedings.

Judge Barklay sentenced Black to five years and one month jail, with a non-parole period of three years and two months.

The sentence was backdated to March 8, 2020.

Luigi Tammaro

Luigi Tammaro. Picture: Facebook

A truck driver who stalked his ex and sent her relentless threatening messages escalated to running her off the road on a high-speed expressway, a court heard.

Luigi Tammaro, 38, was jailed in the District Court after he stalked the victim by calling her up to 200 times a day between February and June 2018.

“Your contact included sending messages threatening to post sensitive images of her on Facebook and threats to tell her sons that she was pregnant, a matter which distressed her,” Judge Joanne Tracey said during sentencing.

“Some of those calls made it apparent that you were following her or monitoring her movement, including knowing where she was in her car and knowing when she was at work.”

The court heard Tammaro deliberately drove the victim off the road on the Northern Expressway, which has a speed limit of 110km, on June 12, 2018.

The victim was driving 90km/h when Tammaro purposely swerved his car into hers.

“The swerve caused the complainant’s vehicle to be pushed off the road down through a ditch … before coming to a halt,” Judge Tracey said.

The victim suffered bruising and soreness from the incident.

The Woodville North father pleaded guilty to stalking and assault causing harm.

Judge Tracey sentenced Tammaro to two years and four months, with a non-parole period of 15 months.

Nicholas Watts

A man who bashed and choked his heavily pregnant partner until her legs gave way wants to start afresh after being released from jail.

Nicholas Ra Watts, 42, showed no remorse for the violent assaults he inflicted on his partner on multiple occasions.

The District Court heard Watts and his partner had been living together for about seven months at the time of the offending.

“In October 2020, the complainant was pregnant,” Judge Paul Slattery said during sentencing.

“She contends you are the father of this child, you are not convinced of your paternity of this child.”

The court heard Watts and the victim got into an argument in October, 2020.

“She woke to find you on top of her, having pulled the top of the bed quilt over her and placed your hands around her throat and after you released her, you punched her once to the left side of her rib cage,” Judge Paul Slattery said.

Watts assaulted the victim again in November, 2020.

“By this stage she was more than six months pregnant,” Judge Slattery said.

“You began verbally abusing her and then grabbed her by the throat and dragged her from the bed.

“You pinned her up against the wall by her throat with the consequence that she was unable to breath and her legs gave way.”

The court heard Watts also threw a bong at the victim which hit her on the face in December, 2020.

Judge Slattery sentenced Watts to three years and five months jail, with a non-parole period of 18-months.

Todd Abbott

Todd Abbott. Photo: Facebook

A man left his partner petrified of him after he broke into her house and attacked her in a jealous rage.

Todd Abbott, 26, ripped some of his victim’s hair out during the terrifying home invasion.

The District Court heard the victim was Abbott’s on and off again partner of one year.

Abbott also broke the victim’s phone in February of 2020 after he demanded to see it.

The court heard the victim was at home on October 22 when Abbott attended.

“(The victim) was soon woken by the sound of you kicking the front security screen of the house and as a result damaging it,” Judge Timothy Heffernan said during sentencing.

Abbott left but returned an hour later and the victim told him to leave again.

“You responded saying ‘I think it’s funny that you think I can’t get into the house’,” Judge Heffernan said.

“You proceeded to kick the door in and you entered the premises.”

Once inside, Abbott asked the victim where her phone was.

“You then grabbed the complainant’s hair with your right hand and pulled her down to the ground,” Judge Heffernan said.

The court heard the victim suffered soreness to the back of her head and lost some hair as a result of the attack.

Judge Heffernan sentenced Abbott to one year and four months jail, with a non-parole period of 11 months.

The sentence was backdated to October 28, 2020, meaning Abbott was eligible for parole.

Andrew Shearing

Andrew Shearing. Picture: Facebook.

A trained chef who horrifically stabbed his fiancee in an unprovoked and unexplained attack of “extreme violence” while in the midst of a drug induced psychosis was jailed for nine and a half years.

Andrew James Shearing, 33, of Mitchell Park had been preparing meals in the kitchen at the home he shared with fiancee Ashlee Byrne on April 25, 2020 when he went into the bedroom and attacked Ms Byrne as she watched television.

In sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Kevin Nicholson said the circumstances of the offending were “unusual” and involved “extreme violence”.

“You left the kitchen, entered the bedroom carrying a kitchen knife … you attacked and stabbed her at least five times in a row for no apparent reason,” he said.

“While you were attacking Ashlee she tried to escape but you prevented her from leaving.”

Shearing’s father heard the commotion and opened the door, allowing Ms Byrne to escape.

Stabbing victim Ashlee Byrne with her former fiance Andrew Shearing. Picture: Supplied by family

Shearing pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated causing serious harm with intent.

Justice Nicholson jailed Shearing for eight years, six months and 18 days with a non-parole period of six years and 10 months.

Jalal Homsi

Jalal Homsi. Picture: SA Police

A man who sliced his then partner’s neck and finger with a machete he had “begged” her to buy has been jailed for the “extremely violent” domestic violence attack.

Jalal Homsi, 34, and the woman had been in a “dream” relationship which was marred by the couple’s use of methamphetamine and fantasy.

In sentencing, Jude Timothy Heffernan said Homsi frequently carried knives and would become agitated, paranoid, angry and violent depending on the combination of drugs he was using.

In November 2019, he tried to suffocate and strangle his then-partner after accusing her of being unfaithful, which she denied.

“She felt like she was going to die … she believes that she blacked out,” Judge Heffernan said.

Homsi then threatened the woman with a machete, holding the blade against her neck, cutting her.

“She tried to pull the blade of the machete away from her throat and she sustained a deep laceration to her finger,” Judge Heffernan said.

The incident occurred at a suburban caravan park at the time, where Homsi kept the woman, before agreeing to accompany her to Westfield Marion to buy bandages.

The woman used the opportunity to escape with help from shop staff.

In February 2020, while Homsi was on the run from authorities, he attempted to get the woman to drop the charges. He made her turn off location settings on her phone and call his lawyer but she could not get through.

Homsi was later arrested in April 2020. In August 2022 he was found guilty at trial of four violent offences including unlawfully choking, suffocating or strangling and a charge of attempting to dissuade a witness.

After discounts for almost a year already spent in jail ahead of the trial, and time on home detention bail, Homsi was jailed for almost five and a half years.

Judge Heffernan set a non-parole period a week short of three years.

Sung Ping Lail

A boyfriend who kept his partner locked in a room with him for a week, periodically assaulting her and forbidding her from going to the bathroom, had a history of detaining people against their will, a court has heard.

Sung Ping Lail, 30, was jailed for five years for two counts of false imprisonment as well as aggravated assault and aggravated intentionally causing harm.

District Court Chief Judge Michael Evans said Lail’s offending was fuelled by drug use and his partner had been “fearful” for months before the incident.

The court heard that Lail’s bedroom door at his house had a broken handle and could only be opened with a pair of tweezers.

Judge before Christmas 2020 Lail locked his partner in the room with him and forbade her from leaving.

For two days they stayed in the room. During that time Lail assaulted her by punching her repeatedly to the head.

He released her from the room on December 24, 2020 and took her to her parents’ house for Christmas.

The court heard the victim hid her bruises from her family and then, two days later returned to Lail’s house.

He once again kept her in the room – this time for a week.

She was not allowed to leave to use the bathroom and was made to urinate on the mattress they both slept on.

During the second period of false imprisonment Lail attacked the victim with a metal pole wrapped in tape.

The pole left severe bruises on the woman’s legs and side.

She left the house for a second time on December 31, 2020, and was once again dropped at her parents’ house.

This time her bruises were noticed and the police were called on January 4, 2021, when Lail arrived at the front door screaming for her to come outside and go with him.

Lail has remained in custody since that date.

Lail was imprisoned for five years with a non-parole period of three years. He will be eligible for parole early next year.

Alexander Howell

A man who fired a bullet through a former partner’s couch in a bid to scare her into getting back together has been sentenced – and is already eligible for parole.

Alexander Adam Howell, 31, was high on cocaine when he went to his former partner’s western suburbs home on December 13, 2019, brandishing a loaded 100-year-old gun he shot through her couch to prove it was real. At the time, a young child was asleep in a neighbouring room.

The gun had jammed and he fetched a fork from the kitchen to try and unjam it.

As his former partner screamed for help, Howell fled while brandishing the gun at bystanders who tried to tackle him to the ground.

In sentencing in the Supreme Court, Justice Anne Bampton said Howell’s offending was “terrifying”.

“Your conduct at the victim’s home while high on cocaine wielding and discharging a loaded firearm while (a child) slept was conduct designed to intimidate and frighten and it carried the inherent risk of grievous bodily harm and fatal injury,” she said.

Howell, who has been in custody since his arrest, had pleaded guilty to offences of discharging a firearm and aggravated possessing a firearm without a licence.

The firearms offences breached a suspended sentence bond imposed on Howell in December 2017 for drug trafficking which Justice Bampton carried into effect. She imposed a sentence of two years and 10 months for the firearms offending to be served cumulatively on the trafficking sentence.

Justice Bampton set a total revised non-parole period of three years and two months, which she said meant Howell was now eligible for parole.

Craig McCarthy

A woman remains traumatised after her long term partner’s violent attack, where she was pinned down and bashed.

Craig William McCarthy, 50, was addicted to methamphetamine when he committed his appalling domestic violence attacks.

The District Court heard the victim was McCarthy’s partner of eight years.

“Regrettably it would seem this relationship was punctuated with violence,” Judge Anthony Allen said during sentencing.

The court heard the victim opened the fridge on April 15, 2019 and McCarthy kicked the fridge door so it swung forward and hit her in the chin.

The next incident on September 10, 2019 at Woodville Gardens involved McCarthy and the victim getting into an argument, which escalated into him pinning her down on the couch.

“At this time you used both hands to grab her throat, wrapping your hands around her neck and pressing down against her windpipe causing her to struggle and gasp for air,” Judge Allen said.

The court heard McCarthy removed his grip after one minute and began pulling her hair and slapping her to the face.

The victim suffered soreness to her forehead, scalp, neck and right eye.

The sentence was backdated to September 12, 2019, meaning McCarthy was eligible for parole.