Trent Severino: Former Australian navy member sentenced for assault

A former member of the Royal Australian Navy assaulted a woman who interrupted his horse betting, before being separated by bystanders. See why it took a second offence for him to be convicted.

Trent Severino (right), next to lawyer Les Crawford (left) outside Hornsby Local Court on November 23, 2022. Severino pleaded guilty to two domestic violence offences.

A former member of the Australian navy has been charged with a string of domestic violence offences, after assaulting a woman at a BBQ before bystanders intervened.

On Wednesday, Hornsby man Trent Severino, 31, fronted Hornsby Local Court after pleading guilty to two counts of common assault - domestic violence related.

Documents tendered to court reveal the first instance of assault occurred at a BBQ at NSW’s Lake Haven on August 6.

The court heard Severino was betting on the races on his mobile phone when a woman pushed his hand, causing the mobile phone to be thrown onto the ground.

The 31-year-old then punched the woman on her arm before other people intervened and separated the pair, a court heard.

Trent Severino (right) outside Hornsby Local Court.

Documents further state just over a week later — on August 14 — Severino argued with a woman.

“The victim got in the face of (Severino) and he pushed her in the upper chest, knocking her to the ground,” court documents state.

In court, Severino’s defence lawyer Les Crawford said his client has only recently transitioned from working for over a decade for the Australian navy and is now employed as a data analyst for Atos, an international cybersecurity company.

Mr Crawford said his client entered pleas of guilty at an early opportunity and Severino never seriously injured the woman.

Magistrate Alexander Mijovich agreed, saying the fact the fights did not escalate showed restraint on Serverino’s part.

Mr Mijovich did not convict Severino for the first count of assault.

But, for the second matter, Mr Mijovich said a conviction was unavoidable because a child was present and “he pushed her with enough force she landed on the ground”.

For this second count of assault, Severino was convicted and fined $750.