Peter Neville Phillips to be freed by Christmas after hitting woman with knife handle in brutal Coffs bashing

A Coffs man struck a woman in the back of the head with a knife handle during a shocking attack – but his violent criminal record won’t stop him getting out of jail before Christmas.

A worried neighbour handed footage of the attack to police. Picture: File

A Coffs Harbour man hit a woman in the back of the head with a knife handle during a brutal bashing – but his violent criminal record will not stop him getting out of jail before Christmas.

Peter Neville Phillips faced Lismore District Court over videolink from prison. He pleaded guilty to common assault and intimidation.

Court documents state the 39-year-old approached the victim outside a Coffs Harbour property and swung a “metallic object”, the knife, in July last year.

Phillips punched the woman several times and pulled her hair as she bent over and tried to cover her face with her hands.

The offender hit the woman on the back of her head with the handle of the knife and then kneed her, police state.

Phillips and the victim told police the attack did not take place. Picture: File

Neighbours heard the woman’s cries and phoned triple-0. Police arrived and found Phillips and the victim at a street nearby.

They told police the woman was injured by falling off her bike. Officers found a small knife a sheathe in Phillips’ bag.

Coffs Harbour Police Station. Picture: File

Hours later, a concerned neighbour handed CCTV footage of the attack to police.

The victim told officers she had not been assaulted, but Phillips was served with an apprehended violence order (AVO) to protect the woman.

He breached the AVO on July 27, when police spotted him with the woman at a Nambucca Heads property, the court documents state.

Officers saw Phillips fleeing from the back of the house and found him hiding in a neighbour’s backyard.

Police state the nature of Phillips’ relationship with the woman is unknown.

Phillips’ was sentenced at Lismore Courthouse. Picture: Savannah Pocock

In the court, Judge Jonathan Priestley said Phillips was a Bundjalung man who had dealt with a lifetime of disadvantage.

“He acknowledged he has done dumb things in the past and has been in and out of custody,” he said.

“I worry he may suffer from foetal alcohol syndrome because his mother was an alcoholic.”

Judge Priestley said during sentencing earlier this month Phillips had a “bluntly” violent criminal history and problems with drugs and alcohol.

Phillips was sentenced to eight months in prison with a four-month non-parole period, which was backdated to August.

He is due to be released on parole on December 20.