Marcos Punter pleads guilty to assault causing bodily harm in domestic violence incident

An Ipswich man jailed for assaulting a woman later said he had been trying to evict her from the house, a court has been told.

A man has faced sentence for domestic violence offences.

ACTS of brutal violence committed against a woman on two subsequent nights have landed an Ipswich man a nine-month jail penalty after he was this week convicted of assault.

An Ipswich court heard the woman was beaten and dragged and the defendant, Marcos Punter, got a knife.

Punter later stated he was simply trying to get the woman to leave his home.

The domestic violence was described as being particularly serious by police prosecutor Ricky Tsoi when the 48-year-old offender appeared for sentence in Ipswich Magistrates Court.

Punter pleaded guilty to two domestic violence charges of assault causing bodily harm, in North Ipswich on March 18 and March 19; and two counts of contravening domestic violence protection orders.

Mr Tsoi said the assaults occurred on two subsequent evenings with a knife involved in one incident.

Mr Tsoi said a jail order of nine to 12 months was in range and given the man’s lack of offending this could be suspended.

Defence lawyer Bill Leather said the man was single and had a lack of criminal history.

He had suffered a workplace truck accident some years ago that had a significant effect on his mental wellbeing.

Mr Leather said the incidents occurred when the woman visited his home, with the pair seeing each other for several years.

The court heard she had never lived with him.

“He said most of what occurred he was trying to forcefully eject her from the house and she struggled back,” Mr Leather said.

“There is no excuse for the violence he admits to. He is in a difficult situation particularly with the physical violence used of this magnitude.

“He did suffer some injuries but not of significant nature.

“It is a shock to him, his behaviour, given his age.”

The court heard Punter was remorseful and taking part in a behavioural course.

Magistrate Jacqueline Payne said the agreed police facts revealed that there had been an argument on the first evening in which Punter grabbed the woman’s head, pushing her onto a bed while hitting her around the head.

The court heard Punter picked up a knife at one stage but then put it down again.

Ms Payne said the woman gathered her belongings and fled the house, but returned the next evening.

The court heard the woman tried to get Punter to remove personal emails.

Ms Payne said that after putting away groceries he grabbed her, threw her around and pushed her head into a wall.

The woman used her car keys in an attempt to stab him but he grabbed her arms and squeezed her neck.

The court heard Punter began beating the woman before dragging her by the ankles, then punching and slapping her.

The court heard the woman had punched and bitten Punter. She took herself to hospital at 10.30pm.

“The violence while somewhat out of character is significantly serious,” Ms Payne said.

“The assaults would have had significant impact on her.”

Ms Payne said it was to Punter’s credit that he had been successful in a completing a men’s behavioural change program, and had shown some insight about acting in such an appallingly violent way.

Ms Payne convicted and sentenced Punter to nine-months jail on each of the assaults, and two months jail on both offences of contravening protection orders.

All sentences were suspended for 15-months.