Jake Walker jailed by Byron Bay court after assault left woman in hospital

A Northern Rivers woman had to be hospitalised and received stitches to her face after being attacked ‘in the dark’ by her then partner. Read how Byron court has dealt with the case.

Byron Bay Court. Picture: Savannah Pocock.

A Northern Rivers woman had to be hospitalised and received seven facial stitches after her ex-partner attacked her when she tried to break up with him.

Jake Norman Neil Walker has been refused bail after he was charged with assaulting his former partner causing actual bodily harm and breaching a restriction in an apprehended domestic violence order.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to breaching the AVO but pleaded not guilty to the causing actual bodily harm charge at Byron Bay Local Court on Monday, October 31.

Magistrate Karen Stafford said this was a “usual case of domestic violence” as the 32-year-old woman did not make an official statement to police and did not attend court.

Walker threatened the woman and said he ‘would kill her’ if she told police about the domestic violence, court documents state.

The woman feared there would be an “escalation in violence” if she reported Walker, police state.

Domestic violence. Picture: File

The court heard the woman was attacked by Walker as she was walking to her car, the same day she tried to end the relationship.

“He came out of the dark,” the court heard the woman said.

Walker then allegedly forced his way into her home and assaulted her around 8pm on October 15, 2021.

Police state Walker took the woman to her bedroom and verbally abused her before punching her twice in the head “causing a laceration to her left eye”.

Walker left the house shortly after, taking the woman’s car, police facts state.

He drove to Boatharbour Rd in Richmond Hill where he removed his electronic tracking ankle bracelet, which was a part of his parole conditions, police state.

The court heard Walker and the woman had been in an intimate relationship for three years.

In court, prosecutor Kadene Connery said Walker’s tracker proved he was at the woman’s home.

“He had an ankle bracelet on that shows he was at the woman’s premise when she sustained the injury,” Ms Connery said.

“Just because she has not attended court, it does not make her unfavourable … it does not take away from the evidence.”

Domestic violence. Picture: File

When police arrived at the home the woman was “continuously bleeding” from a wound and “visibly frightened”, the court heard.

The woman had to be hospitalised and suffered a 3-4cm-long cut on her left eyebrow which required seven stitches, police state.

The woman also had to be monitored for a concussion and the injury was photographed by police.

The woman declined to report the crime to police.

A Community Corrections worker went to the woman’s address to conduct a compliance check on Walker’s parole and observed bruising around her eye on October 14, 2021, police state.

The woman told the employee Walker had smacked her in the face and strangled her on several occasions.

“He threatened to harm me by holding an axe to my throat,” the woman said.

A week after this check, a warrant was issued by police for Walker’s arrest after his parole was revoked based on a drug-related charge.

Walker was arrested at the woman’s home on November 21, 2021.

Police discovered Walker had made 20 calls to the woman while he was in jail on remand, when the apprehended violence order to protect the woman was ongoing.

Magistrate Karen Stafford found Walker guilty of causing actual bodily harm to the woman due to the strong evidence presented in court.

He was convicted on this charge and sentenced to a three-year jail term.

Walker was sentenced to one month in jail for breaching the apprehended violence order.

“There is a need to protect people when there are apprehended violence orders in place,” Ms Stafford said.