Silkstone’s Curtis Peter Palatinus faces Ipswich Court for posting ex-girlfriend’s nudes, domestic violence

A vindictive ex posted his girlfriend’s nudes and number to a group chat in a humiliating revenge after she broke up with him for punching her in the stomach – immediately after she told him she thought she was pregnant.

Curtis Peter Palatinus, 26. Picture: Facebook

An Ipswich man has been jailed for a brutal series of domestic violence incidents against his ex-girlfriend, which culminated in a humiliating act of revenge that a court heard she was still reeling from.

Silkstone resident Curtis Peter Palatinus, 26, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on February 15, 2024, to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm (DV), and distributing intimate images (DV).

Magistrate Robert Walker said Palatinus had assaulted his girlfriend in two instances of “brief but brutal violence” in July 2023.

The court heard Palatinus first punched her in the face, ripping out her nose ring, on July 5.

Mr Walker noted Palatinus had told his girlfriend to tell people the nose ring had been pulled out by her pillow.

The court heard the girlfriend told Palatinus five days later that she thought she was pregnant.

Mr Walker said they discussed the matter in the morning, and the girlfriend initially thought they were both “excited but cautious”.

But Palatinus then punched her in the stomach, before drawing her into his arms and saying he didn’t know what had happened.

Mr Walker said he drew the inference that the punch to the stomach had potentially been intended to impact the pregnancy.

But there was no information before the court about whether she had actually been pregnant.

The court heard the girlfriend saw that second assault as the “last straw” and broke up with him that same morning.

Then at 12.50pm that same day, she received an email with the subject line “HAHAHA”, the court heard.

Mr Walker said the email contained a screenshot of a Facebook group chat, where Palatinus had posted four nude photos of the girlfriend – three of which were identifiable as her.

He said the photos were accompanied by a phone number and a disparaging message.

The court heard the girlfriend received multiple phone calls as a result of Palatinus’s message.

Mr Walker said the offending was “clearly” an act of “retribution” for leaving him.

“It was an act, in my view, designed to humiliate the victim, to distress her and to cause her reputational harm.”

“It involved damage that cannot be readily undone.”

He noted the girlfriend had told police about experiencing ongoing distress from not knowing where the images ended up.

The court heard Palatinus had told police he didn’t remember the first assault, and had initially denied the punch to the stomach.

Palatinus had also told police the girlfriend had staged the email to get him into trouble, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Mickaela Brown said her client had no criminal history, and was looking for work in the forklift or warehousing industry.

She said he had struggled with his mental health, along with alcohol and drug issues, but had since taken positive steps towards rehabilitation.

“He says that he had had a look in the mirror and has decided that he really needs to turn his life around,” Ms Brown said.

Mr Walker acknowledged Palatinus was a young first time offender, but concluded the offending was so “appalling” that he should serve some time in actual custody.

He sentenced Palatinus to six months jail, with parole release on April 15, 2024.