Candice Wiggins in court for assault and wilful damage

A lifelong drug addict in a “toxic” relationship cut her partner’s face with a knife and herself needed stitches after a saucepan was thrown at her head during a violent brawl over shared custody of their dog.

Candice Paula-Ann Wiggins pleaded guilty to three domestic violence offences including assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed, wilful damage and contravention of a domestic violence order in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

A lifelong drug addict in a “toxic” relationship cut her partner’s face with a knife and herself needed stitches to repair a wound from a thrown saucepan following a violent disagreement over shared custody of a dog.

Appearing from Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre via videolink, Candice Paula-Ann Wiggins pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed and wilful damage on Tuesday.

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The court heard Wiggins, 40, began using drugs at nine years of age while growing up in Sydney and had been in a “toxic relationship” with the victim for 16 years.

A lifelong drug addict in a ‘toxic’ relationship cut her partner’s face with a knife and herself needed stitches to repair a wound from a thrown saucepan following a violent disagreement over shared custody of a dog.

Police prosecutor Leon Casey told the court Wiggins went to her partner’s Bundaberg West house in August 2023.

The court heard Wiggins had gone to her partner’s home in order to collect a dog for which the couple shared custody, and a disagreement developed around the release of the dog to Wiggins.

Mr Casey told the court that in the course of the argument Wiggins attacked her partner with a knife that the couple regularly used to gain access to the property, while the partner was sitting in his lounge chair.

Despite her partner attempting to protect himself by holding a plate in front of his face, the court heard Wiggins cut his face causing him to sustain a 1.5cm long laceration to his nose.

Wiggins’ partner then picked up a saucepan to defend himself and threw it at Wiggins, hitting her in the head and forcing her out of the house.

Candice Paula-Ann Wiggins pleaded guilty to three domestic violence offences including assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed, wilful damage and contravention of a domestic violence order in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard Wiggins then used the saucepan to smash in the kitchen and laundry window, and tried to force her way back into the home in vain through the security door which was held shut by the partner.

Wiggins’ lawyer, Lavonda Maloy, told the court that on leaving the property, having sustained a significant head wound from the thrown saucepan, her client was assisted by an off-duty nurse and a taxi driver and made her way to nearby Friendlies Hospital where she received a number of stitches.

Ms Maloy told the court the relationship between Wiggins and her partner ended following the incident.

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Magistrate Edwina Rowan took into account the extra-curial punishment suffered by Wiggins in the form of the head wound from the saucepan, and ordered she serve 15 months prison with immediate release on parole.

Convictions were recorded.