10 violent Clarence Valley offenders named
From a 29-year-old Grafton man who choked his partner over a non-existent affair to another man who punched a paramedic, these are some of the region’s most violent offenders.
Police & Courts
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A number of people living in the Clarence Valley have faced serious penalties for acts of violence.
Here are 10 violent offenders who have been convicted in a Clarence Valley Local Court.
ORAL MONAGHAN
Grafton man Oral Monaghan, 29, was convicted for an assault on his partner during which he choked the woman unconscious during a jealous rage over a non-existent affair.
Court documents reveal Monaghan dragged the victim from the driver's seat of a vehicle to the front passenger seat while still strangling her.
Magistrate Michael Dakin sentenced Monaghan to 22 months in jail, with a non-parole period of 15 months.
Monaghan will be eligible for parole on December 2, 2021.
JEREMY HOCKEY
Jeremy Hockey, 43, was convicted in Grafton Local Court after pleading guilty to assaulting police in execution of duty occasioning actual bodily harm, committing an act of cruelty against an animal, larceny, contravening a restriction of an apprehended violence order, common assault and intimidate to intend a fear of physical harm.
Police were called to an argument at a South Grafton pub on September 11, 2020, and found Hockey nearby throwing a nine-week-old puppy to the ground, before picking it back up and choking it.
Police immediately took the puppy and arrested Hockey.
According to court documents Hockey began to puff his chest out and yell at police “you’re not taking my dog”.
Officers tried to arrest Hockey, who violently wrestled with the police and struck out at them multiple times before OC spray was deployed and he was handcuffed.
The court heard the puppy was not seriously injured and was treated by a vet.
Hockey was at JJ Lawrence Field in South Grafton in December 2020 when, despite an apprehended violence order being in place, made a number of threats against a woman.
The court heard Hockey forced the woman into a toilet cubicle, and after he locked the door he lifted her up by her neck and held her against a wall, yelling abuse and threats.
Hockey was jailed for 16 months with a non-parole period of eight months.
A five-year apprehended violence order was put in place to protect the victim.
LYNIV GRACE GORDON
Baryulgil woman Lyniv Grace Gordon punched, kicked, and threw dirt in the face of a complete stranger during a violent assault in 2020.
Police attended Gordon’s home and found her in the living room highly intoxicated where she was arrested and taken to Grafton Police Station.
The court was told that while in custody she was extremely agitated and verbally abused police, and while she was being placed into a cell spat at police three times.
Gordon was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, assault police officer in execution of duty and fail to appear in accordance with bail acknowledgment.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden sentenced Gordon to a 12-month intensive corrections order.
HARLEY THOMAS SULLIVAN
Harley Sullivan became extremely aggressive toward authorities and threatened to headbutt any police officer who came near him after he was arrested for a series of domestic violence incidents.
The 29-year-old pleaded guilty to charges including stalking, common assault and property damage. According to court documents, Sullivan assaulted a woman by taking hold of her hair and slamming her head into the rear passenger side panel of a vehicle several times.
Sullivan was sentenced to 12 months in jail with a six-month non-parole period.
DANIEL MATTHEW HICKS
Grafton Local Court in July heard of a “distressing” incident which involved a 69-year-old man begging for his son Daniel Matthew Hicks to stop hitting him before he was dragged along gravel.
Hicks, 45, pleaded guilty and was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and damage to property as a result.
According to court documents, the incident started when Hicks demanded his father move out of his Grafton property.
Hicks was convicted and ordered to pay $400 for property damage, and complete a 12-month community corrections order which includes a domestic violence education program.
LUKE NOEL BUNN
Coutts Crossing man Luke Noel Bunn, 37, pleaded guilty and was convicted of charges of assault and intentionally choking a person without consent.
Grafton Local Court heard an argument between Bunn and the victim deteriorated into physical assault.
Bunn “grabbed the victim around the neck momentarily” before slapping them several times to the left side of their head, face and shoulder.
Bunn later struck the victim with a plastic pole, believed to be used in a child’s indoor tent.
Bunn was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order which included an order to complete domestic violence education.
DENNIS ADRIAN CURRIE
Dennis Adrian Currie appeared in Grafton Local Court in December 2020, where he plead guilty to assaulting a NSW Ambulance paramedic while he was being taken to hospital after a drug overdose.
Court documents state that Currie was found at a Maclean home lying on a bed in the garage with eyes closed and arms folded over his head.
As the ambulance neared the hospital Currie, who was in the back of the vehicle, shouted “stop this thing I want to go for a piss” and unclipped his seatbelt before punching the ambulance paramedic in the head several times.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden convicted Currie and sentenced him to two months in jail.
JAKE THOMAS GOULD
Jake Thomas Gould was convicted of a vicious assault on his former partner that resulted in her being hospitalised after she was headbutted in her own bed.
Maclean Local Court was told that the Woombah man arrived at his former partner’s home drunk and bashed her while she slept, then headbutted her and stole her phone.
The victim sustained a 3cm split above her right eye.
The agreed facts state Gould then went on to trash the victim’s room and took the phone with him when he left.
Magistrate Kathy Crittenden sentenced Gould to a nine month intensive corrections order, as well as 100 hours community service.
DALE JOHN KENNEDY
A Lawrence man was given a roof over his head when he fell on hard times, and less than a week later violently assaulted his elderly friend.
Dale John Kennedy, 49, pleaded guilty to common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and destroy/damage property.
The court heard Kennedy had been consuming alcohol before the incident in which he headbutted his friend, causing bleeding above the victim’s eye.
Magistrate Jeff Linden convicted Kennedy and sentenced him to 12 months behind bars with a non-parole period of three months and five days.
BLAKE MITCHELL
Blake Mitchell, 31, was sentenced after he was found guilty of assaulting his partner with a frying pan during an argument.
Court documents reveal that Mitchell hit her on the top of the head, causing a lump to form on her head and the metal pan to bend on the side, before throwing a can of dog food at her.
However, the can missed her and landed on the floor, causing dog food to spill onto the floor.
The family‘s dog began eating the spilt food where Mitchell then kicked the dog.
Mitchell was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month intensive correction order, including 100 hours community service. He was also fined $400.
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