Joel Benjamin Hauwert sentenced after breaching apprehended violence order

A love triangle has gone wrong when a jilted lover called police on a man after she discovered he had been in contact with another woman and had refused to pay for her return home.

40-year-old Joel Hauwert, from Southport outside Lismore Local Court on Wednesday for breaching an apprehended violence order.

A Queensland man who was seeing two different women before both of them sought and were granted apprehended violence orders against him has faced a Northern NSW court.

Joel Benjamin Hauwert, 40, unemployed of Southport, pleaded guilty to contravene prohibition or restriction in an apprehended domestic violence order before Lismore Local Court on Wednesday.

Magistrate Michael Dakin heard a domestic violence order was issued by Southport Magistrates Court May 31 against Hauwert by Veronica Mamani Challapa.

Police allege about 6.52pm on Tuesday, both the Ms Challapa and Hauwert were at Evans Head when an argument erupted between them. The court heard the argument was sparked on the discovery of “another woman” being romantically linked to Hauwert.

As Hauwert began walking away from her, she rang triple-0, police facts state.

40-year-old Joel Hauwert, from Southport outside Lismore Local Court on Wednesday for breaching an apprehended violence order.

Ms Challapa told the operator a domestic violence order was between them and said: “He is wanted by Queensland police and doesn’t want me to call NSW police”. She then gave details of Hauwert’s vehicle.

Shortly after the call police found the pair at an Evans Head carpark sitting in their own cars which were parked along side each other.

Kirkland Court Carpark, Evans Head. Picture: Google Maps.

Police allege they could smell a strong intoxicating liquor coming from Hauwert.

Hauwert was arrested and placed in the back of the police paddywagon on suspicion a breach of the AVO had taken place.

Ms Challapa denied calling triple-0 but when police called the mobile number attached to the triple-0 call her phone rang.

She then admitted to calling and told police they both left Queensland because Hauwert was “wanted” by police and had nowhere to live.

She refused to give police information on what took place before the officers arrived at the carpark.

Police facts state officers detected she was terrified of Hauwert and began to fear repercussions from him and would not provide details of their relationship history.

40-year-old Joel Hauwert, from Southport outside Lismore Local Court on Wednesday for breaching an apprehended violence order.

Hauwert was taken to Ballina police station where he refused to be interviewed by police.

His lawyer told the court the 40-year-old had been “in a bit of a love triangle” with two women who both took out AVOs on him.

“He lives in Southport but was doing some work in NSW,” the lawyer said.

The court heard Ms Challapa was doing some work with Hauwert on the day and an argument erupted when she refused get out of Hauwert’s car and learned he was in contact with the other woman.

“He offered to pay her the day’s pay and they fought because he had contact with the other woman,” the lawyer said.

“Both women pursed relationships with him (after the AVOs were in place) and he went with them and breached the AVO the women put on him.

“He spent last night in a lock up and there was no violence involved in the breach,” the lawyer told the court.

The court heard the couple argued before the complainant demanded money from Hauwert to return to Queensland.

“When he refused, she made a call to triple-0,” the lawyer said.

In handing down his decision Magistrate Dakin gave Hauwert a stern warning not to be in the company of a protected person.

“It is two years imprisonment for breaches on these AVOs,” Mr Dakin said.

Hauwert was found guilty, but without proceeding to conviction, Mr Dakin sentenced him to a conditional release order for a period of 12 months. He was released from custody.