Colo Vale: Glenn Tasker charged with assault and intimidation

A Colo Vale man who allegedly threatened his pregnant partner, said he would “kick the f***ing f*** out of your guts” and punched her in the face.

A Southern Highlands man accused of punching his partner in the face allegedly and threatened to kick her baby ‘out of her’, a court has heard.

Glenn Michael Tasker, 39, appeared via video link in Moss Vale Local Court on Tuesday to apply for release from custody. The Colo Vale resident is charged with three counts of common assault, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intimidation and driving while disqualified.

All of the charges involve the same victim, whom he is accused of assaulting five times over a 19-day period, the court heard. Police will allege he assaulted the woman at noon on July 1 in Willow Vale, causing her bodily harm, before intimidating her and assaulting her two days later at 9pm.

Glenn Michael Tasker appeared via video link at Moss Vale Local Court.

Mr Tasker is also accused of assaulting the victim early in the morning of July 19 and occasioning her actual bodily harm. On that date, police will allege he also drove while disqualified between 5am and 6am.

Mr Tasker appeared before Moss Vale Local Court on Tuesday to apply to be released into the community while he awaits the court proceedings.

Police prosecutor Peter Robinson said police opposed bail, citing the likelihood of further offences being committed and the need to protect the alleged victim.

The court heard the allegations against Mr Tasker were violent, including that he punched the alleged victim in the eye twice with a closed fist and punched her to the side of the head several times.

The police prosecutor said Mr Tasker allegedly threatened to assault the woman until she lost her baby.

“An alleged threat of ‘I’ll f***ing kick the f***ing f*** out of your guts so you’re not pregnant anymore’,” he said.

Defence lawyer Michael Doughty agreed his client faces “serious allegations”, but reminded the court nothing has yet been proven.

“They are allegations only,” he said.

He told the court Mr Tasker has no history of violence and has never had an AVO against him. Mr Doughty told the court his client was a lifelong local who is “supported in the community”.

He also mentioned Mr Tasker had told him the victim had mental health issues, which Magistrate Susan McGowan called “an exercise in victim blaming”.

Glenn Michael Tasker applied for release from custody in Goulburn. Picture: Joel Carrett

She said Mr Tasker had to “get a grip”.

“I’m not engaging in an exercise blaming everyone from here to Mittagong and beyond,” she said.

Mr Doughty said the defence was “burdened by the facts” and asked the magistrate to consider his client’s submissions.

“It‘s important your honour has some balance about this relationship and the forces at work here,” he said.

Mr Doughty said he believed the victim could be protected from Mr Tasker by imposing bail conditions which would prohibit his client from entering Colo Vale.

Magistrate McGowan imposed that condition and required Mr Tasker to report to the Southern Highlands police station three times a week.

He will return to Moss Vale Local Court on January 31, 2022.