Domestic violence: Man pleads guilty in Warwick court to wild machete frenzy

A father claimed he chose ‘the lesser of two evils’ by stabbing items at least 20 times to the point it broke his hand, while his young children with special needs watched on in fear, a Warwick court heard.

A man who unleashed his anger after an argument with his wife by stabbing their fridge with a machete more than 20 times has pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard the Stanthorpe man, who cannot be named, and his wife got into a heated dispute in their bedroom on Sunday night while their children were also in the house.

The argument was quickly over but the 38-year-old remained enraged, walking to the kitchen where he grabbed a machete and hacked and stabbed the refrigerator door at least two dozen times.

Neighbours overheard the conflict and called police to the house out of concern.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the couple’s children, aged 13 and seven, witnessed their father’s violent outburst despite their mother claiming she was totally unaware of the damage before it was pointed out to her.

“He alleged he suffers depression and mental health issues due to past drug issues, added to by the special care required for his two sons with disabilities,” Sergeant de Lissa said.

“He stated he believed he’d done the lesser of two evils by taking out his anger on his fridge.”

Sergeant de Lissa said the Stanthorpe man was arrested due to the violent use of a weapon and fears the conflict could escalate, and spent the night in custody in Warwick before appearing in court on Monday.

The court was told the man was sentenced to a wholly suspended jail term in 2013 for contravening a domestic violence order, but had no further breaches until this offending.

Duty lawyer Amber Acreman said the high needs of their children had put strain on the couple’s marriage, which was why the man had a full-time job and home in another town.

She added that the man was already suffering the consequences of his actions, as the incident left him with a broken hand and he would likely be told to stay away from the family home.

The man pleaded guilty to one count of contravening a domestic violence order.

He was sentenced to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for 12 months.