Dylan Pedler to be sentenced for serious criminal trespass and assault at Whyalla

A man’s “very stupid” attempt to to save his relationship ended in a spontaneous, violent home invasion when another man answered the door.

A father is hoping he won’t miss the birth of his second child after feeling a “rush of blood” during his spontaneous assault and home invasion.

Dylan Pedler’s lawyer pushed for a suspended sentence in the Adelaide District Court, after his final bid to not lose his life partner did not go as planned.

The court last week heard Pedler, 29, attended a Whyalla Playford property on April 5, 2020.

A man opened the door.

The court heard Pedler stepped inside the front door and pushed the victim several times before punching him to the left cheek.

Pedler then followed it up with two more jabs to the victim’s face.

“There were no injuries and the trespass and the assault was relatively short,” a prosecutor said.

Pedler, of Whyalla Norrie, pleaded guilty to assault and serious criminal trespass.

Dylan Pedler will be sentenced in June for serious criminal trespass and assault. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Pedler had been jailed for violence before.

Matthew Christey, for Pedler, told the court he had no intention to break in and assault anyone when he went to the house.

“The decision by Mr Pedler to conduct himself in this manner was a spontaneous, obviously very stupid … decision out of fear that Mr Pedler was going to lose his life partner,” he said.

“It was certainly not a balanced decision by him to go there, but it really lacked any pre-planning and certainly lacked any conscious decision about the consequences of the outcome of that decision.

“Everything happened at the front door and it could be described really as a rush of blood by Mr Pedler when it was (a man) that in fact answered the door.”

The court heard Pedler had a young child, with another one on the way.

“To imprison him now would only disturb and may well prevent what he has achieved to date, as well as his family network and employment,” Mr Christey said.

“He has indicated that he is willing to do whatever it takes not to lose his family, to remain in the community and to continue to work in the community.”

The court heard Pedler had written a letter of apology to the victim.

“There has been a response by the complainant, which they weren’t willing to accept his apology,” Mr Christey said.

“It seems as though whatever hope for a friendship is ceased.”

The prosecutor said there was a “level of insincerity” to Pedler’s apology letter but agreed with Mr Christey that a suspended sentence was open.

Judge Slattery will sentence Pedler in June.