Ayden Herrick sentenced for domestic violence attack

A western Sydney man threw a rock through a woman’s car window and left her fearing for her life during a horrific domestic violence incident, months after being avoiding jail for other domestic violence offences.

Ayden Herrick was sentenced at Blacktown Court. Picture: David Swift

A Blacktown father has been jailed after he threw a rock through a woman’s car window after terrorising her on the road, while serving a sentence in the community for earlier domestic violence offences.

Carpenter Ayden Herrick, 40, faced Blacktown Court from the dock and dressed in prison greens on Tuesday.

The court was told Herrick had seen a relative of his former partner and mother of his children drive past his house on April 19, which triggered a “brain snap”.

Herrick followed the woman in his own car and was seen tailgating her and swerving behind her.

When the woman braked, Herrick’s car came dangerously close to colliding with hers.

He then picked up a rock and threw it through the woman’s cars back windshield.

The woman immediately feared for her safety and pulled over, calling for someone to call the police.

A sentence appeal for the three charges has been filed in Parramatta District Court.

Herrick initially denied any involvement and said he was with one of his sons at the time, though CCTV proved otherwise.

He was arrested on April 23, and has been in custody ever since.

The court was told Herrick was serving a 15-month intensive correction order in the community after he was sentenced on January 16 for domestic violence related offences, including making threats to kill.

The domestic violence offences came after Herrick’s relationship with his former partner of 24 years broke down in 2023.

The court was told Herrick had tried to amicably co-parent with his former partner but their relationship “disintegrated”.

Several reference letters were tendered to the court, including one handwritten by Herrick which shared his remorse, how his actions were selfish and that his children had suffered throughout his time in custody.

Another letter stated Herrick’s father died when he was a young boy, which is thought to have caused some long-term issues for him.

The court was told Herrick planned to relocate to Queensland upon his release, where he would work on a fishing trawler in the Moreton Bay region.

Herrick pleaded guilty to damaging property, stalking with intention to harass/intimidate and contravening an AVO.

He was sentenced to 18 months in prison with a non-parole period of 12 months.

His time in pre-sentence custody was taken into account and he will be released on April 22, 2025.

A sentence appeal for all three charges has been filed in the Parramatta District Court and will be heard on August 7.

A new AVO naming Herrick as a respondent was also filed, and will be active for two years.