Woman ‘at grave risk’ of serial DV abuser

‘It wasn’t just all me’: Woman basher’s words to court after pleading guilty to domestic violence breaches.

"IT WASN'T just all me."

These five words were spoken by a self proclaimed "changed" woman basher seconds after he was jailed for breaching a domestic violence order.

And his victim blames herself for his behaviour, prompting Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan to express her belief the woman was "at grave risk".

The four breaches were not the most serious examples - there was not actual violence involved - however they still painted a chilling picture.

 

They are the latest incidents in a long line of verbal and physical abuse against women dating back to 2007 - violence against his mother, against a former partner and against the woman he now claims he's going to marry.

"I have changed as well, a lot," the father of two told Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan.

"I take responsibility, but it wasn't just all on me.

"It wasn't just all me."

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Mackay Magistrates Court heard the 38 year old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had 14 entries for breaching a domestic violence order on his criminal history and 11 protection orders taken out against him.

Four involved his current partner, one his former partner and six his mother.

Horrific details of his behaviour were revealed in court including shoving his mother into a wall, and beating his current partner to the ground before stomping on her head and body for 15 minutes after an argument over his drinking.

Prosecutor Chelsea Pearson said he threatened to stab the woman with a fishing pole before hitting her with it.

He then stole her phone and she was forced to drive herself to hospital.

The court heard the first two of his latest breaches occurred in August last year and involved the man going to his current partner's Andergrove home despite orders forbidding it.

Domestic violence silhouette generic image - fist raised against woman./Violence

He was granted bail in January this year and by this month had committed another two breaches that involved sending 94 abusive text messages to his partner.

"His history and the current offences before the court today show a complete contempt of court orders and a strong pattern of domestic violence against the women in his life," Ms Pearson said.

He is currently in jail and Ms Hartigan handed down another six months with parole eligibility in September this year.

The court heard the victim was there to support him - the two want to rekindle, although court orders only allowed telephone or message contact.

Legal Aid Queensland defence solicitor Rosie Varley said the victim wrote support letters filed directly with the court blaming herself for his behaviour.

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Barely a minute after Ms Hartigan began reading the documents she said, "I'm not taking them into account at all" and handed them back.

"He can't plead guilty to the court and then somebody who's an aggrieved write a letter and say this is all my fault, I take full responsibility, that don't send him to jail because he'd done nothing wrong," Ms Hartigan said.

"If anything that tells me this woman is at grave risk because she has no understanding and no insight into what's occurred either and more importantly (the man's) responsibility for what has occurred.

"No body is responsible for this but (the man)."

Ms Hartigan said while the visits to the home could be viewed as offending "at the lower end … but he's been doing that for 12 years".

"He knows the rules, he just doesn't care," Ms Hartigan said.

The court heard he had made some attempts at rehabilitation including participating in a number of services such as Community Solutions, Lives Lived Well and Uniting Care's Choosing Change program. He had also been referred to a psychologist but could not attend because of COVID-19.

"We're grown adults and we choose to be together," he told the court.

"She knows I've changed."

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When the man said he and the woman were in love, engaged and wanted to be together, Ms Hartigan offered some blunt advice to continuing engaging in counselling before he tried to vary the protection notice to allow physical contact.

"If you just come along and say you love each other and you want to get married, that's not enough, I have to consider the safety of the aggrieved and right now I think she's in grave danger," she said.

"It doesn't matter that you say you've changed, your behaviour tells me you haven't."

 

QUEENSLAND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES

DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811

DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636

1800RESPECT national hotline: [phone]

 

NATIONAL 24/7 CRISIS SERVICES

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78

beyondblue: 1300 22 46 36

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800

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