Matthew Wesley Hulls pleads guilty in SA court to using knife, hammer, syringe in five years of domestic violence against two women

Two women, five years and 18 offences using knives, hammers and a syringe – a horror DV thug has finally admitted to his crimes.

One man repeatedly threatened, imprisoned and bashed two domestic partners, in succession over five years, using weapons including knives, hammers and a chemical-filled syringe, a court has heard.

Matthew Wesley Hulls – who has shouted and cursed his way through prior hearings – stood quietly with his head bowed in the dock of the District Court on Monday.

In a soft voice, he pleaded guilty to 18 domestic violence offences and, as part of a plea bargain deal, prosecutors withdrew a further nine charges.

Hulls’ trial, scheduled for later this year, has been vacated as a result of his pleas – he now faces a maximum 13-year prison term.

Matthew Wesley Hulls used an array of weapons, including knives, hammers and a chemical-filled syringe. Picture: Generic/File

In August 2023, Hulls, 38, pleaded not guilty to multiple, aggravated counts of assault, causing harm, causing harm with intent and threatening life.

He also pleaded not guilty to other charges, including false imprisonment, and seven counts of choking, suffocating or strangling a person in a domestic setting.

Previously, prosecutors alleged Hulls subjected his then-partner to “horrific” and “very serious” domestic violence between September 2021 and May 2022.

Those acts, they alleged, included:

ATTEMPTING to catch the woman “cheating” on him by installing CCTV cameras throughout the house

CHOKING her up against a wall while shaking her “like a ragdoll” and strangling her into unconsciousness

HANDCUFFING her to the bed

THREATENING to kill her, and making her “beg for her life”

WIELDING an axe at her, then trapping her in a large birdcage

THREATENING to inject her with a syringe full of chemicals, saying “if kicking it out of you doesn’t get you to tell the truth, let’s see what injecting you with this does”

ATTEMPTING to waterboard her in the garage

THREATENING to smash her fingers with a hammer

STABBING her with a knife

BITING her fingers

When the alleged offences were detailed in court, Hulls yelled “just because she said it doesn’t mean it’s true … this is f---ing bulls---” from the dock.

On Monday, Hulls pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault causing harm with intent, and two counts of aggravated assault causing harm.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated threatening to cause harm, and two counts of false imprisonment.

Hulls further pleaded guilty to five counts of choking, suffocating or strangling a person in a domestic setting.

Those offences were committed in the northern suburbs between September 2017 and May 2022.

The court heard Hulls had two victims, both women with whom he was or had been in relationships at the time of his crimes.

Hulls, by his pleas, admitted using a knife against his first victim, and a syringe and hammer against the second.

Judge Anthony Allen remanded Hulls in custody to face sentencing submissions and victim impact statements in May.