Sam Ryan Cooney jailed for ‘uncontrolled and irrational’ bashing of partner after argument

A cowardly domestic abuser bashed his partner as she held her child, then shoved her into a car that rolled down a hill – and tried to blame her for his rage.

A man bashed his partner as she held her young child then shoved her into a car which rolled down a hill after the pair argued about beeping the horn, a court has heard.

Sam Ryan Cooney, 32, of Lightsview, then tried to blame the woman, telling police she should be charged.

Cooney previously pleaded guilty to three charges including recklessly causing harm over the October 2020 attack.

In sentencing in the District Court on Wednesday, Chief Judge Michael Evans said Cooney’s offending was “particularly serious”, “uncontrolled and irrational” and had left the victim feeling her life was “unbearable”.

He said Cooney had asked his then partner for a lift to a friend’s house, and she agreed, taking along her five-year-old child.

The woman became ill so Cooney took over the driving. When he beeped at another motorist, his partner asked him to stop and keep driving.

“This caused you to get angry and you began swearing and screaming,” Judge Evans said.

“You punched her multiple times, initially using your left hand with a closed fist and then stopping the vehicle so you could punch her with your right hand.”

The woman tried to protect herself with her legs and get out but Cooney kept punching her.

He then drove head-on into a road sign, but Judge Evans said the victim may have “grabbed the steering wheel out of fear”.

He later drove past the woman’s home without stopping. The woman then threatened to alert police if he did not stop, and Cooney threatened to kill her and her son.

He eventually stopped and the woman and her child got out of the car, but Cooney punched her while she was “defenceless”, holding her child.

“She heard her face crack. Your punch caused her to drop her son on the road and fall over,” Judge Evans said.

“You shoved the victim in the front passenger seat of the car … the car started rolling down the hill.”

He said Cooney then fled while a good Samaritan stopped to help the woman who was taken to hospital for treatment.

She suffered a facial fracture, bleeding behind the eye, bruising and swelling. She has lost peripheral vision and her eyeball has sunk into her head 6mm.

“She has nightmares and has shut down completely from people,” he said.

Judge Evans said Cooney’s offending must be publicly denounced.

“Women must feel safe and be safe from such violence. The community has no tolerance for this type of offending,” he said.

He jailed Cooney for three years and seven days, including almost 12 months for beaching a good behaviour bond, with a non-parole period of one year and nine months.