Former Warwick man walks free from court after hitting partner in ‘terrifying episode’

The Warwick court heard the woman was holding one of the couple’s small children during the violent outburst, with her attacker then stopping her from calling triple-zero for help.

The Warwick man walked free from court after pleading guilty to hitting his partner while she was holding one of their small children. Picture: iStock

A former Warwick man who smacked his partner across the head while she was holding one of their small children in a “terrifying episode” of domestic violence has walked free from court.

The Warwick Magistrates Court was told the 25-year-old, who cannot be named, and his partner first got into an argument over the woman wanting money in her own separate bank account.

Police prosecutor Ken Wiggan said the woman tried to defuse the conflict by dropping the man off at their home so she could go stay with family, but he refused to get out of the car and continued the fight.

“(The woman) then went inside and sat down with a kid on her lap, and he tried to take the child off her but she refused,” Sergeant Wiggan said.

“He then slapped her across the side of the head, causing her fear and pain but not actual injury.”

The court heard the woman then tried to call triple-zero for help, but the father-of-two grabbed the phone out of her hand and told the operator his partner “was a liar” before hanging up.

Sergeant Wiggan said police called the woman back and eventually went to the couple’s home to intervene, where the man told officers he struck the mother of his children because he was angry.

This offending was the man’s first breach of the domestic violence order taken out against him earlier this year.

Defence lawyer Phillip Crook said his client suffered a disability, was illiterate, and had several mental health concerns, with the man’s NDIS support person watching on from the back of the courtroom.

“They’ll be sending him to various psychologists, and the plan is to be able to get him to overcome his own issues,” he said.

Mr Crook added the couple were still living together and refocused on raising their children, aged one and two.

Magistrate Julian Noud slammed the Warwick man’s “terrifying episode” of violence and warned there would be a heavy price to pay for reoffending, but opted for a lesser sentence given it was his first domestic violence crime.

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

He was placed on probation for 18 months.