Patrick De Arruda: Narrabeen man sentenced for assault, threatening in boarding houses

A series of bizarre violent antics inside Sydney boarding houses – including throwing an electric razor, attempting to smash down a door with a fake pineapple pot plant – has landed a man in court.

Patrick De Arruda leaving Newtown Local Court on January 31, 2023.

A series of bizarre violent antics inside Sydney boarding houses – including throwing an electric razor at a resident he claimed owed him $20 and attempting to knock down a door with a fake pineapple pot plant – has landed a man in court.

Narrabeen man Patrick De Arruda, 48, appeared at Newtown Local Court on Tuesday to be sentenced after previously pleading guilty to destroying property and intimidating someone causing them to fear physical harm.

On November 9, police facts state De Arruda lent a housemate $20 to purchase cigarettes.

By the time the housemate returned, De Arruda had drunk three long necks of beer and a bottle of wine.

“While cooking dinner, De Arruda begun calling out towards the victim … saying “f*** you” “you’re an asshole” and … “c***”,” police facts state.

De Arruda then smashed a wine glass in front of the victim and threw an electric razor at him, a court heard.

Patrick De Arruda leaving Newtown Local Court on January 31.

“(A short time later) De Arruda began banging on the victim’s door,” police facts state.

“(He) grabbed a nearby pineapple-shaped fake pot plant and began using it to smash the victim’s door whilst stating words to the effect of “come outside I want to fight you” and “I’ll bash you”.”

At the time, the 48-year-old was serving a community corrections order (CCO) for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and destroying property at a Crows Nest boarding house in June.

Court documents state when the victim told De Arruda they were required to move out, the 48-year-old ripped their bedroom door’s hinge from the wall, the court heard.

A violent struggle took place where the victim was hit with a steel pole, which police observed was covered in blood. The victim landed on a drum kit after wrestling with De Arruda.

In court, De Arruda’s lawyer said his client’s mental health had suffered after his foot was injured in a workplace accident.

His lawyer told the court people in the boarding house had been asking De Arruda for money and food.

“It is a circumstance where he finds himself repeatedly taken advantage of,” he said.

But Magistrate Susan McIntyre told the court she could not ignore the “really disturbing violent offences”.

“They represent someone who will just lose his control … and he puts other people in real danger of being hurt,” she said.

Following the most recent offences, De Arruda’s previous community corrections order was revoked and replaced with a new 12-month community corrections order.

He was also fined $500 and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service work.