Jacob Hall in Port Macquarie court for breaching bail while in rehabilitation

After four months in rehab a Mid-North Coast bricklayer has found himself back in court. See what went wrong.

Port Macquarie courthouse.

A Mid-North Coast bricklayer has found himself back in court after being booted out of rehab.

Jacob Hall was in residential rehabilitation while on bail for domestic violence related offences.

The 27-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm (domestic violence) in relation to an incident in May last year when he hit his ex-partner in the nose after she came home to find him drunk and she tried to pack a bag to leave.

He was placed on a two-year community corrections order but four months later he breached this order when he went to the victim’s house and lay down in front of her car and went to sleep when he was “well affected by alcohol” according to police facts tendered to court.

As part of his ongoing bail, Hall went into residential rehabilitation.

Jacob Hall.

He spent just over four months in the Balunda facility before having to leave after four positive drug and alcohol tests, it was heard in Port Macquarie Local Court on April 6.

Magistrate Georgina Darcy recognised it was “no party” in rehab and that it was “disappointing you had to leave in the circumstances you did”.

Ms Darcy commended him for “doing the right thing” and reporting to police after leaving the facility and told the court he now accepted the relationship with his ex-partner was over.

Hall’s lawyer told the court that he had recently found employment as a bricklayer with two companies in Port Macquarie and that he could live at his mother’s place at Telegraph Point.

Since leaving rehabilitation Hall has attended alcoholics anonymous at the church near the Port Macquarie KFC is was also heard in court.

Ms Darcy agreed to extend and vary his bail to allow Hall to live at his mother’s home and to report daily to Port Macquarie Police station.

He must also abstain from drugs and alcohol and continue to stay away from his ex-partner.

The matter was adjourned for sentencing on May 24.