Southern suburbs man pleads not guilty to horrific domestic violence allegations

An Adelaide man will go to trial after pleading not guilty to allegations he bashed his ex and tried to set her on fire after she picked him up from jail.

A southern suburbs man accused of bashing the woman who picked him up from prison – before allegedly dousing her in acetone and trying to set her on fire – will stand trial over an alleged six-day string of violent domestic attacks.

On Thursday – via video link in the Adelaide Magistrates Court – the 47-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, denied any involvement in relation to allegations of nearly ten domestic violence offences.

He pleaded not guilty to two counts of aggravated assault against his own spouse, one count of aggravated assault causing harm against his own spouse, one count of choke, suffocate or strangle a person in a domestic setting, one count of aggravated threaten to kill or endanger life and one count of aggravated cause harm with intent against his own spouse.

At his first appearance in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court last year, a police prosecutor alleged the man had been released from Yatala on home detention bail to live with the alleged victim.

He had then allegedly committed the new offences over the next six days, including one on the same day he walked out of jail, the court was told.

The man faced court on Thursday. Picture: AAP/Tim Dornin

“She picks him up from prison and takes him home – the first incident occurs that day when they get home,” the prosecutor said.

“She’s on the toilet and he has hit her on the head with such force that her head has hit the wall, leaving a dent.

“During that week, she was laying in bed and he’s thrown acetone over her and then tried to set it alight.

“It sets the bed on fire instead of her – she’s gone and hid in the corner and then he’s continued to hit her once the fire’s been put out.”

Defence counsel for the man previously submitted his client’s alleged victim had “serious credibility issues”.

“She’s a known drug addict, has convictions for trafficking, influencing witnesses … she has an extensive history,” they said.

“She collected him of her own volition from Yatala after he was released – after the charges were withdrawn – and I’m instructed they spent one night together.

“She had ample opportunity over those five nights to go to the authorities – there’s no allegation she was kept imprisoned or had her phone stolen.”

On Thursday, Magistrate Justin Wickens remanded the man in custody to appear in the District Court in August for arraignment.