Charlie Hill, 32: Tradie jailed for ‘degrading’ coward attack in Manly

A drunken tradie violently pinned his then-girlfriend to a bed and spat in her face during a protracted attack on the northern beaches. Here’s how the magistrate dealt with him.

A tradie has been jailed over a series of drunken assaults on his then-partner. File picture: iStock

A tradie has been jailed for 18 months after drunkenly spitting in the face of his then-girlfriend while he violently pinned her to a bed by the neck.

Englishman Charlie Hill, who was in Manly on a working visa, committed the “degrading” coward attack because the victim had accused him of cheating on her with another woman.

Manly Local Court heard on Wednesday that Hill, a 32-year-old floor layer, assaulted the woman several times over a 14-hour period in her Manly home.

While he had been in a relationship with the victim for two years when they both lived in England, he had only been in Sydney for about a week before the assaults took place on January 8 and 9.

The woman had been living in Australia for about six months prior to that, after accepting a job offer here. She had asked Hill to join her.

Charlie Hill pinned the victim to a bed before spitting in her face. File picture: iStock

But the court was told he initially decided to stay on in Britain because his mother was gravely ill and subsequently died.

Within a week of arriving in Manly, Hill’s partner confronted him with accusations he had been having an affair. He then accused her of cheating on him.

Reading from a police fact sheet, magistrate Robyn Denes said that on January 8, Hill grabbed the woman’s mobile phone and followed her around the unit for 30 minutes before shoving her violently into a wall.

Hill then left and went to the New Brighton Hotel on The Corso before returning, in an intoxicated state.

He followed the victim into a bedroom, where he pushed her over, injuring her cheek.

At 2am the next morning, Hill went back into the bedroom and pinned the woman to a bed by grabbing her jaw and putting his hand across her neck.

“He then spat in her face,” Ms Denes said.

Hill left the room but returned later in the morning and punched a wall.

He also threw a phone at the woman twice, leaving bruises on her chest and arm.

When police arrived, they found the woman with bruising and swelling to her neck and face.

Hill pleaded guilty to two domestic violence-related counts of both assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

Manly Local Court jailed Charlie Hill for 18 months with a non-parole period of nine months. Picture: AAP / Monique Harmer

He also pleaded guilty to damaging property and breaching bail in relation to a separate incident on April 1, when he tried to get into the flat to retrieve some property.

During sentencing, Ms Denes told Hill there had been “significant violence within the home of the victim”.

“I can’t think of anything more degrading than spitting in her face,” she said.

Hill’s Legal Aid solicitor agreed the incidents were “appalling” but said his client had issues with alcohol and his mental health due to the death of his mother.

Ms Denes gave Hill an aggregate jail sentence of 18 months, with a nine-month non-parole period.

Hill is set to appeal the severity of the sentence in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on October 21.