Brendan Hopgood pleads guilty to assaults, property damage

A man’s contentious relationship with his neighbour has landed him in jail, with a magistrate offering him some sage advice.

Brendan Hopgood faced Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. Picture: Facebook

A Belmont man who has been jailed over run-ins with his neighbour has been told to turn his life around, or face a life spent in prison.

Brendan Hopgood, 46, appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday via videolink and pleaded guilty to a number of charges, including assault, assaulting police officers, making threats, violating personal safety orders, and intentionally damaging property.

The court heard Hopgood had a contentious relationship with a neighbour, at whom much of his offending was directed.

The neighbour, and his sister, had taken out personal safety orders against Hopgood, the court was told.

The conflict came to a head on May 14, when the court heard Hopgood threatened the man with a wine bottle.

His neighbour raced inside his house and grabbed a golf club to defend himself.

Afterwards, the court heard Hopgood used a metal spirit level to damage the wire security door at his neighbour’s front door. He was arrested later that day.

Hopgood’s lawyer, Louis Robertson, told the court his client had endured a “really difficult upbringing”, which resulted in his abuse of alcohol and mental health issues, including diagnoses of depression, anxiety and complex PTSD.

All of the offending occurred when Hopgood was intoxicated, the court heard.

Mr Robertson submitted that Hopgood had shown he could stay on the straight and narrow, with gaps in his criminal record between 2000 and 2012, and again between 2014 and 2021.

He said Hopgood had the capacity to complete a community corrections order, despite being on two when the offending occurred.

“It’s never going to be a perfect situation … because his life has been imperfect,” Mr Robertson said.

His recent lapses have come on the heels of personal tragedy, Mr Robertson said, including the deaths of his father and sister.

“It’s in that context that Mr Hopgood has unfortunately lapsed into his drinking,” Mr Robertson said.

Hopgood spent time in prison in 2023 for setting a mattress on fire, and has been in and out of custody since.

Mr Robertson said while the offending “speaks for itself”, Hopgood’s neighbour had potentially provided “unnecessary provocation” at times that “perhaps contributed”.

The court heard Hopgood had been moved from Karreenga Prison to protective custody at Ravenhall, as he was being “stood over” for his medication.

Mr Robertson submitted that Hopgood should be released on time served, however magistrate Ann McGarvie said she was concerned about him returning to the same address.

“I don’t know what is going to stop Mr Hopgood from firstly, drinking, and reoffending while he was drinking,” Ms McGarvie said.

“He’s walking around with bottles of alcohol and using them as a weapon.”

Hopgood was convicted and sentenced to 90 days in prison, minus 65 days already served.

“You have to change your life around, otherwise you are going to spend your life in jail,” Ms McGarvie told Hopgood.

Originally published as Brendan Hopgood pleads guilty to assaults, property damage