Trevor Clive Greene: 72-year-old Dubbo man who strangled a woman leaving scratch marks on her neck has been sentenced

A 72-year-old Dubbo man who assaulted two women leaving one with scratches on her neck has pleaded guilty to three charges in Dubbo Local Court.

A 72-year-old Dubbo man who assaulted two women leaving one with scratches on her neck has pleaded guilty to three charges in Dubbo Local Court.

Trevor Clive Greene appeared in court on Wednesday afternoon, pleading guilty to three charges, including common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and driving a motor vehicle to menace others.

An agreed set of facts tendered to the court reveals Greene was drinking at one of the victim’s residence who has known through friends for 15 years.

After the victim and her friend returned from shopping at around 6:30pm on February 18, 2022, Greene began speaking to her in an aggressive tone of voice while drinking from a bottle of wine.

Greene and the victim began carrying groceries inside and when returning to the car, he slammed the passenger side door shut.

Police facts state that Greene started screaming at the victim, telling her to lock the door. She ignored the directives and carried the last bag of groceries inside on her property on Elizabeth Street in Dubbo.

Trevor Greene (blue and white shirt) appeared in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday.

“(Green) followed behind (the victim) and began to barge her with his chest and pushed her with both hands causing (her) to fall to the ground,” police facts reveal.

“(The victim’s friend) ran over to the (Greene) and grabbed him around the head in an attempt to get him away from (the victim).”

From there, Green placed both his hands around the friend’s neck and started to strangle her, making it hard to breathe and leaving red scratch marks on her neck.

It left red scratch marks on her neck.

After pushing Greene off her, the friend started to argue back and forth with the 72-year-old.

Greene proceeded to get into his Holden Colorado and began revving the engine, before reversing and driving forward at the victims, “in an attempt to cause fear or harm with intention of frightening the victims”, court documents state.

This happened three more times before Greene “sped off” heading west on Elizabeth Street.

Officers attended the residence shortly after, obtaining surveillance footage of the incident and a statement from the friend.

The following day on February 19, police were patrolling Brisbane Street in Dubbo and found Greene’s car parked out the front of the Guest Inn Motel. Officers spoke to Greene before he was arrested and taken to Dubbo Police Station to be entered into custody.

Greene told police that he remembered being in the driveway at Elizabeth Street but couldn’t recollect what happened.

The court heard from Greene’s lawyer, Bill Dickens that his client had struggled with long-term alcohol issues which had been addressed by completing the MERIT program.

“He has engaged with merit in a very complete fashion, he has addressed longstanding alcohol abuse issues,” Mr Dickens said.

He continued by saying Greene has connected with other services which he was previously not connected with, and through MERIT he has been able to move towards rehabilitation, giving confidence to the court that he would be at a low risk of reoffending.

Mr Dickens highlighted Greene’s record which he described as “quite good”, appealing to Magistrate Stephen Olischlager to reduce the period of disqualification to his client’s licence to 12 months and to consider a community corrections order.

Although conceding there was “no doubt” Greene’s intentions were menacing, Mr Dickens said he was only intending to frighten the victims “but it certainly didn’t go to the extent of going to run them over or anything in that nature”.

Magistrate Olischlager accepted Mr Dickens’ submissions saying the pushing and barging of the victim was at the low end of objective seriousness, however, as for the attack on the friend, he considered that to be of a serious nature.

With Greene’s otherwise limited history, Magistrate Olischlager noted Greene’s attendance of the MERIT program to which he engaged with 10 of the 12 appointments.

“It’s a long path in addressing alcohol abuse and you need to continue on that path,” Magistrate Olischlager told Greene.

In sentencing, Magistrate Olischlager said he was satisfied that the matter can be dealt with by good behaviour bonds, handing the 72-year-old an 18-month community corrections order and a minimum of 12 months disqualified from driving.

Greene must also continue to accept counselling or treatment in relation to his alcohol issues.