Threats, abuse, assault: Warwick’s shocking DV crimes and offenders revealed

From a dad who threatened to burn down his partner’s house to another man whose public drunken outburst left his ex and kids terrified for their safety, these were the latest residents sentenced in court for domestic violence offending. FULL LIST:

A man who narrowly avoided further time behind bars over a series of verbal and physical assaults on his partner was just one of the domestic violence offenders recently sentenced in Warwick courts.

The 24-year-old, who cannot be named, stayed overnight at his ex-partner’s home on January 21 in an attempt for the pair to repair their relationship and look after their one-year-old child together.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard an argument soon broke out between the pair, with the woman retaliating to the man calling her “not respectful” and a “bi —h” by pushing him over a coffee table, which further angered him and drove him to shove her into a nearby bookshelf.

The woman asked the man to leave before she called the police, at which he instead picked up a knife from the kitchen bench, prompting the woman to pick up their child and run to the bedroom to get her phone and call the police.

It was only a few weeks later that the man was again asked to leave his ex-partner’s house and she arranged for her brother to drive him back to Warwick, but the man lashed out and struck the brother on his shoulder.

He had yet another verbal argument with the woman in April, which escalated to him throwing his phone and eventually having police arrive to find his ex cowering behind their bedroom door in fear.

The court was told the man’s series of offences breached two probation orders he was under at the time, and earned him 41 days in pre-sentence custody earlier this year.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman acknowledged her client had historically been reluctant to fully engage with the probation process, failing to complete the required domestic violence course and struggling with ongoing mental health and anger management throughout the previous orders.

She said his time behind bars had served as a “wake-up call” for him, and he had now moved away from the Warwick area and was holding down full-time work.

“He had three offers to engage with issues at the root of his offending, and it appears that it wasn’t until he spent time in custody that the penny has essentially dropped,” she said.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told the father it was a shame it had taken him so long to reach this healthier mental state, but his previous low points were no excuse for putting his ex or their child through repeated abuse and emotional manipulation.

“She’s trying to care for a baby and you’re absolutely no help to her, because you’re carrying on like a toddler yourself, to put it frankly,” she said.

The man pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening a domestic violence order and one count each of breaching a probation order, wilful damage, and common assault.

He was sentenced to five months’ jail, wholly suspended for 18 months, and fined $500.

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A man who drunkenly abused his ex-partner on a night out to the extent that she and their three children were forced to seek refuge in a nearby home has been warned he could inflict lifelong emotional damage on his family if he continues to offend.

The 33-year-old and his victims had been at a wake at The Royal Hotel in Leyburn on June 10, after which the man was heavily intoxicated and sitting across the road near another group.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard the man was aggressive and repeatedly tried to instigate a fight, eventually being shoved into a fence by one of his targets, prompting his ex to try to help him up.

Police prosecutor Andrew Grafton said the man turned his anger on the woman, abusing her verbally and forcing her to take their three children and hide in the back room of a nearby building.

He said officers at the scene described the woman and children as visibly distressed and fearful, while the man was still outside attempting to stir up a fight by the time police arrived.

The 33-year-old then tried to flee from police and resisted arrest while being taken into custody, with later testing at the police station showing a blood alcohol concentration of 0.213.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman told the Warwick court the man had not had any contact with his ex or their children since the incident, which he blamed on a night of binge drinking.

“He doesn’t usually drink, but consumed an outstanding amount of alcohol that night and doesn’t attempt to make any excuses for his behaviour,” she said.

“He does have a previous conviction for contravening a domestic violence order, but nothing within the past five years.”

The man pleaded guilty to one count each of contravening a domestic violence order and obstructing police.

He was fined $800.

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A Warwick father has been sentenced to jail after repeatedly abusing and threatening to kill both his partner and grandmother.

Police were called to a disturbance at a Wood St home on March 7 after neighbours claimed they could hear banging and a woman screaming inside the house.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard the 28-year-old man was belligerent and abusive towards officers when they arrived, and could be heard yelling threats that he would “come back and burn the house down” as he left.

The man returned a short while later while police were still at the scene and was heard calling his partner a series of derogatory names such as “maggot” and “c--t”.

It was only a month later that the man left an abusive phone message on his grandmother’s landline saying she was a “f--king dog” for not dropping him to his home when he had asked her to, and on a later call to her mobile could be heard yelling at his partner while she cried in the background.

The abuse continued when they arrived at the Warwick man’s home, with the man storming out of the house again to call both his grandmother and partner “f--king c--ts” and barging past the older woman.

Both women were left frightened for their safety, with the man’s partner heard saying “I’ll come out, but you’ll only kill me” before the man forced his grandmother to drive the trio back to Warwick in an effort to avoid police.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman told the Warwick court that heavy meth use played a significant role in the man’s violent and erratic behaviour, but that his return to custody in June had enabled him to get clean and focus on rehabilitation.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess slammed the man’s conduct as “frightening, bullying, and intimidating”, especially on top of a criminal history showing a long-running pattern of violence and substance abuse.

“It’s completely unacceptable behaviour, and it’s clearly not the first time you’ve done this,” she said.

“You’re fortunate your partner is with you and continues to support you. She says you can be a loving and supportive partner and friend, but you can also obviously not be that person.”

The man pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening a DVO or police protection notice.

He was sentenced to nine months’ jail with immediate eligibility for parole.

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A parolee who ripped a door off his target’s house while visiting in breach of a domestic violence order has dodged further time in jail.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard police were called to a Goondiwindi home on May 30, where they found the man had torn a security door from the house in which the woman and children were living at the time.

Police prosecutor Andrew Grafton said the man then fled on foot into the neighbouring backyard, but was soon caught and then returned to custody a few days later, with his parole order also suspended.

The man appeared in court via videolink from jail, where he is now serving a sentence handed down in 2020 for armed robbery with a current release date set for July next year.

Defence lawyer Hamish Chapman said his client had a history of substance abuse and was struggling to cope with grief at the time, with the combination driving the man to “a bit of a mental break” and resulting in him being taken to hospital for an emergency examination following his arrest.

The man pleaded guilty to one count each of contravening a domestic violence order, wilful damage, and trespass.

He was sentenced to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for 18 months.

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A man who was caught in a blatant lie and breach of his domestic violence order while contacting his ex-partner from jail has narrowly avoided even more time behind bars.

Warwick Magistrates Court heard the 33-year-old, who cannot be named, claimed he was going to call his niece when he had really organised to contact his ex, which breached the DVO in place against him until at least 2026.

Defence lawyer Amber Acreman said the Goondiwindi man had been using copious amounts of ice for several years leading up to his arrest and return to custody in May last year, with his drug use fuelling his history of domestic violence offending.

She said her client had also suffered the death of his brother and a suicide attempt of his own, and claimed he had only contacted his ex-partner after she reached out to him and said she was struggling with her mental health.

The man pleaded guilty to one count each of contravening a domestic violence order and giving false or misleading information as a prisoner.

He was sentenced to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for 12 months. His parole release date will remain fixed at August 27.

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A Warwick woman has faced court after unleashing a series of abusive attacks on her mother in just a few weeks.

Police were called to the victim’s Warwick home on three separate occasions throughout April and May following reports the 19-year-old was hurling abuse and swearing at her mother.

The Warwick court heard one of the incidents took place only days after the woman, who cannot be named, had been released on bail on the condition she would not contact her mother or go to her house.

Defence lawyer Hamish Chapman said his client was going through significant mental health issues at the time, and was hopeful her relationship with her mother could improve now that she was medicated and working with mental health professionals.

The woman pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening a domestic violence order.

She was fined $600 and no conviction was recorded.