Matthew Tansley faces Lismore court charged with domestic violence assault
A northern NSW man who allegedly broke into his former partner’s house is accused of attacking her while wielding a machete.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A man who allegedly broke into his former partner’s house is accused of then threatening her with a machete.
Matthew Tansley, 36, is also accused of phoning the woman 300-400 times a day.
The case against him is before Lismore Local Court but he is yet to enter a plea.
He is charged with aggravated entering a dwelling while armed, common assault (domestic violence), five counts of stalking and intimidation intending fear of harm (domestic violence), and doing an act intending to pervert the course of justice.
Police will allege the 36-year-old entered a Casino home on Diary St on January 9, 2022, while armed with a machete and assaulted a 38-year-old woman who he had been in a relationship with previously.
Tansley then allegedly fled, avoiding police.
A Lismore Supreme Court bail hearing in October 2022 heard Tansley allegedly had been making “concerted, persistent and organised efforts” to find the woman police claim he assaulted.
Justice Dina Yehia said he was sometimes calling her 300-400 times a day before the assault.
Court documents revealed Tansley allegedly contacted the victim and asked her to tell police she had made up the complaint about the alleged machete attack in January, 2022.
Police raided a unit where Tansley was living on January 26, allegedly uncovered a single shot .22 pistol and ammunition.
Court documents say Tansley, who was upstairs at the time of the raid, managed to escape.
Five days later, police found Mr Tansley hiding in a cupboard in a motel room on Hare Street, Casino on February 11.
He allegedly tried to push past officers but was arrested.
On January 27, 2022, Tansley was also charged with various related firearms offences including possessing an unregistered pistol, not keeping a firearm safely, possessing ammunition without authority, possessing a shortened firearm without authority and possessing an unauthorised firearm.
However, Lismore Supreme Court heard in September 2022 the pistol police allegedly found had been lost, which could mean the firearms offences may be withdrawn.
A case conference certificate is due to be filed by March 1, which will include any plea deals the prosecution may offer to Tansley.
Magistrate Michael Dakin adjourned the matter to March 1 for committal.
‘Grave crime:’ Man jailed over stabbing death in KFC car park
The young man who stabbed Canberra teen Lachlan ‘Lachie’ Andrews to death during a brawl at a Northern Rivers KFC has been sentenced to jail but could be out on parole as early as February. Here’s the sentence.
‘Psychopath’: Inmate threatens woman before alleged motel siege
An inmate threatened to attack a woman, saying “you haven’t seen a psychopath yet”, months before he allegedly held her hostage during a six-hour North Coast motel siege.