Drug addict Joshua Stanley Mack stabs pregnant partner

A man arrived at a woman’s house with a sledgehammer before making terrifying threats to her and her unborn baby during a days-long ordeal where he punched and even stabbed her, a court has heard.

Drug addict Joshua Stanley Mack, 28, rocked up to his former partner’s place armed with a sledgehammer and told her he was going to bash the unborn foetus from her womb because it was not his, a court heard.

A drug addict turned up to his former partner’s home armed with a sledgehammer and threatened to “bash” the unborn baby from her womb because it wasn’t his, a court has heard.

Joshua Stanley Mack carried out what was described as “irrational, sustained violence” during the April 21, 2022 ordeal, which involved stabbing the victim in the shin and holding her hostage for days.

He told his victim, “the kid in your guts isn’t mine. I’m going to bash it out of you”.

Crown prosecutor Terance McCosker said Mack picked her up so her feet couldn’t touch the ground, put her in a horizontal position and dropped her on the floor.

The court was told Mack warned, “If you call the police on me, I’m going to hit you with a sledgehammer”, as he held the tool above her head.

Joshua Stanley Mack, 28, is a father of five who dragged his pregnant former partner, yelling he was going to bash her because the baby was not his.

The father of five also woke up the 20-week pregnant woman and dragged her along the floor from the bedroom to the lounge room, where he yelled he was going to bash her because the foetus wasn’t his.

Mr McCosker said the victim responded by telling Mack to get a DNA test done.

Mack, who was on parole at the time, then punched her head several times.

The victim was punched again two days later after returning from the kitchen for food, and screamed for help from the police.

Mack then armed himself with scissors and slashed her left shin as she tried to roll out of the way.

The woman was able to escape when she told Mack she had to go out to buy dinner.

Joshua Stanley Mack carried out what was described as “irrational, sustained violence”.

Defence lawyer Sheridan Shaw said her client had a drug problem, which he needed to address alongside his violence issues.

She said prior to being remanded back in custody on May 2, 2022, Mack was working consistently out of town and away from the drug scene, which he could do again once released.

Judge Jeff Clarke described the 28-year-old’s offending as “terrorising the young woman”, noting his criminal record “confirmed his character to be a violent person and a dishonest person and a drug user”.

Mack pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on February 16 to assault occasioning bodily harm, deprivation of liberty, wilful damage and four counts of common assault.

He was sentenced to three years’ jail, to run alongside a sentence handed down in Rockhampton Magistrates Court in December 2021.

Mack will be released on parole on May 2, 2023.