Serial abuser pleads guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court to breaching DVO

A court has heard why a serial domestic abuser screamed obscenities at the mother of his children after he woke to find her gone.

A man became verbally abusive towards his partner.

A serial domestic abuser unleashed a vile tirade against his partner after he woke to find her gone, a court has heard.

The man, 44, pleaded guilty to breaching a domestic violence order when he faced Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday.

The court heard on January 19, 2024, the man woke at an address where he had been staying with the woman, but she “was not present”.

About 1.30pm the woman returned to the home, driving her car onto the property.

The man made his way down the driveway and stopped the woman in the car.

The man yelled abuse at the woman, calling her a “s —t’ and a w----e”.

He made accusations of her being a drug user before he walked back to the home and the woman parked in the driveway.

Police attended and spoke to the man and woman.

He denied anything had happened, but witnesses corroborated the woman’s version of events.

The court heard the man had previously offended against the woman when there was a dispute when the woman wanted to go out with her friends.

The woman got into the car to leave, and the man stopped her by grabbing her mobile phone, the court was told.

That forced the woman from the vehicle and the man got into an argument with her father, at which point the woman called the police.

He had also previously breached an order in relation to another woman with whom he shared a child.

There had been an argument over the child, and he had shouted at her while she held the child, before he raised his hand at her, causing her to fear she would be hit.

A man called his partner vile names.

He then spat in her face and called her a “c —t”, the court heard.

The court heard the man had been with his partner for seven years and they also had children together.

He said the two had used illicit substances while they were together, the court heard, and he described the relationship as “co-dependent”.

The man had since engaged with a rehab centre to treat his drug addiction.

He was being treated for depression, the court heard, having experienced trauma during his childhood.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie said she understood the man felt remorse for his offending and that it was serious.

She said the steps he had taken towards rehabilitation in addressing his drug addiction were significant.

Ms McGarvie said while it wasn’t alleged that he had been violent, the behaviour was emotionally and psychologically abusive.

The man was placed on nine months’ probation and a conviction was recorded.

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