Man sentenced in Gladstone court for ‘controlling’ DV attack

A Central Queensland man with five DV orders against him, all with different women, has faced court for his latest attack described as “controlling and jealous behaviour.”

A Gladstone man broke a woman’s phone in a domestic violence attack. Generic image.

A Gladstone man who broke a woman’s phone in a domestic violence attack had five domestic violence orders against him with five different women, a court has heard.

The man, who by law cannot be named, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening a domestic violence order.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jessica McLaren said the man had gone to the aggrieved woman’s home without her permission on the night of December 2.

The next morning, he returned to her residence to collect his property.

“He entered the dwelling and began accusing her of sleeping with other people,” Senior Constable McLaren said.

“He broke her phone and refused to leave.”

The woman called police.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court heard the man was a respondent in four other DV orders with different women and he had previous DV offending on his criminal history.

Senior Constable McLaren said the man’s latest offending was “controlling and jealous behaviour.”

Solicitor Cam Schroder said the man’s problem was alcohol and that had led to arguments with his girlfriends.

In relation to the offences before the court, Mr Schroder said the relationship between the man and the aggrieved was “toxic.”

Magistrate Mary Buchanan sentenced the man to six months’ jail, declared 49 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served, and fixed immediate parole.

Convictions were recorded.