Harrington: Larry Edward Morcomb found guilty of choke, assault on his aunt

During a terrifying ordeal on the Mid-North Coast, a man choked his aunt twice on the kitchen floor and threatened her dog saying “I’ll splatter her against the wall”.

Taree Police Station.

A man “lost it” and choked his aunt as she lay on the kitchen floor of her Harrington home before he threatened her dog saying “I’ll splatter her against the wall”.

Larry Edward Morcomb appeared before Taree Local Court charged with common assault (domestic violence), intentionally choke etc person without consent (domestic violence) and stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm.

The 48-year-old pleaded not guilty to all three charges but after hearing all the evidence Magistrate Allison Hawkins found the charges proven and delivered a guilty verdict on Monday.

Ms Hawkins described the victim as a “measured, sensible witness” who was not “seeking to exaggerate or embellish”.

During what Ms Hawkins described as “quite an alarming episode” Morcomb held the victim’s dog above his head threatening to “splatter her against the wall”.

Larry Edward Morcomb leaving Taree Local Court on December 5.

Morcomb had been drinking heavily at his aunt’s home on the day of the assault on August 16, 2021.

Police arrived at the home about 12.10am on August 17 and arrested him, noting his breath smelled of alcohol and he was speaking slowly.

The court heard Morcomb had “lost it” when discussing a family matter and this sparked the assault which involved a push to the ground and two separate incidents of choking using both hands within a short time frame while the victim was on the kitchen floor.

During the assault the woman sustained injuries to her neck, knee and elbow with a doctor’s report outlining “chest wall trauma”.

After finding Morcomb guilty of the three charges Ms Hawkins ordered a sentencing assessment report and noted there was a “big gap” in his record but that he had been “in trouble a few years ago for alcohol related matters”.

Morcomb’s bail was continued and the matter adjourned to January 18 for sentencing.