Adam Leamer pleads guilty to unlawful assault and criminal damage

A St Albans Park man told his ex-partner he loved her on Christmas Eve, then brutally assaulted her.

Adam Leamer, pictured playing for Geelong West, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court to unlawful assault.

A St Albans Park man showed up at his ex-partner’s home on Christmas Eve, told her he loved her, then pulled her from the couch and put his hands around her neck.

Adam Leamer, 32, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday to unlawful assault and intentionally damaging property and was sentenced to a community corrections order.

Leamer – a longtime local footballer who played more than 100 games – went to his ex-partner’s home on December 24, 2023 at 3.30am.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Denise Frame said the victim noticed Leamer was “heavily intoxicated”.

Constable Frame said Leamer started to kiss the victim before she pulled away and told him he needed to sit down.

Leamer then told the victim he loved her before he “started pacing”, brought up his relationship with his current partner and then started acting “irate”, damaging items around the house.

The court heard Leamer then approached the victim and grabbed her by the legs and pulled her off the couch.

“He then picked her up and threw her to the ground and placed his hands around her neck,” Ms Frame said.

The court heard the victim said she “felt like she couldn’t breathe”.

He then lifted his hands off her neck and started yelling, telling the victim she was to blame for the death of her deceased ex-partner.

Constable Frame said Leamer was taken to the Geelong police station and interviewed.

Leamer told officers he couldn’t remember anything about that night and showed no remorse.

Leamer’s lawyer, Ryan Robertson, said there was no medical or photographic evidence that corroborated the victim’s claim she had been grabbed around the neck.

Mr Robertson said his client accepted responsibility for his behaviour and made full admissions to the criminal damage and said the plea of guilty spared the victim from cross examination.

Magistrate Urfa Masood said it was a serious incident of family violence and sentenced Leamer to a community corrections order with convictions recorded.

“On this particular occasion his alcohol consumption got so out of hand he attended the house and engaged in damage of the property and the assault,” Ms Masood said.

“Allegations of strangulation of any form are extremely serious,” she said.

Originally published as Adam Leamer pleads guilty to unlawful assault and criminal damage