'You should feel shame': Cherbourg man hits pregnant partner

'If you do this sort of thing while you are off your head on drugs, it's not something that will give you a lesser penalty.'

A 27-YEAR-OLD Cherbourg man has been sentenced to jail after being convicted on a string of charges including multiple domestic violence offences.

The man pleaded guilty to all 10 charges before the Murgon Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, September 4.

Magistrate Louisa Pink said as a repeat offender of domestic violence the community would not tolerate his behaviour, especially towards his pregnant partner.

"Whatever the arguments are between the two of you, you should feel shame for what you do," Ms Pink said.

"Assaulting women, especially in a domestic relationship, is not lawful.

"(The report) also says that you were using ice at the time.

"I need you to very clearly understand that if you commit these sorts of offences on ice, it is not a defence or an excuse.

"If you do this sort of thing while you are off your head on drugs it's not something that will give you a lesser penalty," she said.

Police prosecutor Pepe Gangemi confirmed in court that the defendant had seven pages of criminal history.

Defence lawyer Mark Oliver said his client was aware of the seriousness of the charges, including the two bodily harm domestic violence offences which he considered as the most serious.

In the first domestic violence offence committed on July 11, Mr Oliver said his client attended the Australian Hotel in Murgon and assaulted his partner outside of the venue.

Mr Oliver said the second assault the following day happened after the couple went to buy drugs.

The people weren't home so the victim "stormed off", which is when he swung her about and assaulted her.

Mr Oliver said his client has three children to another woman, is illiterate, unemployed and used to receive $550 a fortnight from government benefits.

Ms Pink said she wasn't going to go through all of the facts surrounding the case but pointed out the most alarming one.

"It seems that you were at the hotel even though you were banned from going in," Ms Pink said.

"When she went outside, you walked up behind her and you hit her on the back of the head with a torch.

"She stumbled forward into the gutter and received what the police refer to as a large contusion, which was bleeding and bruised.

"There was no evidence of stitches but it was a cut and you used a weapon which makes it the most serious charge," she said.

Ms Pink said the defendant's previous convictions made his situation worse before the court.

She sentenced him to a term of imprisonment for 20 months for the first bodily harm offence, 12 months' imprisonment for the second domestic violence offence and 14 days' imprisonment for obstructing a police officer with a six month parole period.

As the defendant was held in police custody for 47 days from July 18 until September 2 he will be available to apply for parole from January 17, 2020.

The defendant was also convicted of seven other charges including failing to take responsibility and care of a syringe, possessing dangerous drugs, stealing, trespassing, breach of bail condition, a police protection notice and another count of obstructing a police officer.

Originally published as 'You should feel shame': Cherbourg man hits pregnant partner