Cameras capture two days of terror as ‘absolute tyrant’ threatens family with knives during series of assaults

“Absolutely heart-wrenching”: A father of four had to be shown still images of the “moments of terror” he caused at his family home when, over the course of two drunken days, he ruled his family with “an iron fist” during a series of physical assaults and repeated threats with kitchen knives.

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A MAGISTRATE was visibly shaken after watching footage of a family “literally living on a knife’s edge” as a drunken father variously thrust a knife towards his wife, smashed his teen sons’ heads into a glass door, punched them in the back and dragged them by their hair across a floor over the course of two days of “absolutely deplorable behaviour”.

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Appearing at the Cleveland Magistrates Court this afternoon the 48-year-old Birkdale man, who can’t be named for legal reasons, wept uncontrollably after pleading guilty to a raft of domestic violence and obstructing police offences.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta said it was remarkable and lucky that the offending was captured on cameras believed to have been installed by the father of four who volunteers at his local church.

The court heard it was only due to police officers’ persistence to obtain the home’s footage that the “terrifying” behaviour was uncovered.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Janette Harry said officers responding to a domestic violence disturbance at the Birkdale home on May 21 had to force their way into the property after both the father and his wife refused to unlock a door.

Once the footage was obtained a series of “serious” domestic violence offences that occurred over the course of hours on May 16 and 21 were uncovered.

These included the father holding multiple kitchen knives, one with a 25cm blade, to his own and his wife’s throat; punching his son in the back after smashing his head into a glass door and dragging a son by his hair across a floor.
The court heard in one instance the man’s wife had to grab the blade of a knife with her bare hand to stop it “from going into her chest”.

In another, the man struck one of his sons with a blunt object.

Both sons were struck with an open hand at various stages.
Sgt Harry said the man’s wife refused to speak to police about the incidents and remained uncooperative throughout.

Magistrate Vasta said this may have been due conditioned fear after prolonged abuse.

The magistrate printed out still images from the “absolutely heart-wrenching” footage so the father, who claimed through his solicitor to have “zero recall” of the offending, could observe his handiwork.

“One day you may need to watch that footage to fully appreciate the seriousness of your actions,” Magistrate Vasta said.

Defence solicitor Remy Kurz acknowledged the “significant emotional harm” his client caused to the family but contended prosecution was drawing too long a bow in claiming physical harm had also befallen them as there was no physical evidence to confirm it.

Sgt Harry said the man’s wife had refused to make statements on the matter.

Mr Kurz said the experience while terrifying “as a whole” was made up of “short moments of violence”.

Two character references were provided for the defendant; the man’s priest confirmed him to be a productive member of the community who volunteered his services at his local church.

A second reference from the man’s adult daughter spoke of the man’s care for his family.

Mr Kurz said it was a “great irony” that the man said his family was his life.

The defendant had spent 20 days in pre-sentence custody which included, according to Mr Kurz, 14 days in complete isolation “under draconian circumstances”.

The defence solicitor claimed each of the 14 days spent in isolation – due to coronavirus restrictions – was the equivalent of one week of custody.

Magistrate Vasta said it was the nature of domestic violence offending that seemingly respectable members of the community could behave as “absolute tyrants and bullies” behind closed doors.

The magistrate said the footage painted a disturbing portrait of a family “literally living on a knife’s edge” as the man “ruled them with an iron fist”.

The father was sentenced to nine months’ jail and three years’ probation.

He was released on immediate parole and placed on a five-year domestic violence order that forbids him to come within 100 metres of his victims.