Push on partner ends in broken hip and court date

A man that pushed his partner to the ground, breaking her hip, has pleaded guilty to reckless grievous bodily harm

Paul Anthony Crozier, 47, pleaded guilty to reckless grievous bodily harm and two charges of possess prohibited drug in Grafton Local Court.

AN ARGUMENT between a Victorian man and his partner which ended when he pushed her to the ground to leave a Grafton property saw the woman suffer a broken hip that required emergency surgery, a court has heard.

Paul Anthony Crozier, 47, pleaded guilty to reckless grievous bodily harm and two charges of possess prohibited drug in Grafton Local Court on Tuesday.

Crozier's solicitor Greg Coombes said his client and his partner were arguing on June 3 this year, and as Crozier was trying to leave the property to go outside and see his dog he pushed the victim to the ground, which resulted in a broken hip that required emergency surgery.

Mr Coombes submitted to the court that while the level of injury was the number one factor in determining the seriousness of the offence, the injury was more severe than the act that caused it.

"It was a serious outcome for an action where the intention was to move (the victim) out of the way so he could go outside," Mr Coombes said.

Mr Coombes said his client had spent the last few years "self medicating" conditions of post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety with methylamphetamine and marijuana.

The police prosecutor submitted there would have been some considerable force involved in the push for the victim to suffer the severe injury.

Crozier, who has been refused bail since his arrest earlier this year made no application for release and magistrate Kathy Crittenden adjourned the matter for sentencing to October 20.

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