Larry Edward Morcomb from Taree caught drink driving while awaiting domestic violence sentence
A Mid-North Coast man awaiting sentence for choking woman while she lay on the floor has found himself in trouble with the law again after being refused service at a local tavern.
Mid-North Coast
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A Taree man awaiting sentence for choking a woman and threatening to “splatter” her dog against the wall in August 2021, has found himself in trouble with the law again after being refused service at a local tavern.
The 48-year-old was due to be sentenced at Taree Local Court on Monday, February 20, but it was revealed he had been picked up for High Range drink driving after being refused service at the Old Bar Tavern on Australia Day.
Larry Edward Morcomb had previously been found guilty of common assault (domestic violence), intentionally choke etc person without consent (domestic violence) and stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm.
These charges related to what Magistrate Allison Hawkins described as “quite an alarming episode” when she handed down her guilty verdict in December last year.
The court heard Moromb “lost it” and choked the woman as she lay on the kitchen floor of her Harrington home on the evening of August 16, 2021, before he threatened her dog saying “I’ll splatter her against the wall”.
Ms Hawkins described the victim as a “measured, sensible witness” who was not “seeking to exaggerate or embellish”.
During the assault the woman sustained injuries to her neck, knee and elbow with a doctor’s report outlining “chest wall trauma”.
Morcombe had been drinking heavily on the day of the assault and police were called about 12.10am on August 17 and arrested him, noting his breath smelled of alcohol and he was speaking slowly.
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”.
After the guilty verdict was made, Ms Hawkins adjourned the matter over the new year period, but on Australia Day he found himself in trouble again.
According to documents tendered to court Morcombe had been drinking at the tavern but was refused service and drove along Bucketts Way towards his home on Denva Road.
Police pulled him over about 9pm near Denva Road and a breath test returned a reading of 0.153.
The court heard this was his second High Range drink driving offence.
Morcombe pleaded guilty and his lawyer argued for another adjournment in relation to sentencing to allow Morcombe to go into residential rehabilitation for his alcohol problem.
Ms Hawkins agreed to the adjournment but told Morcomb:
“If you’re not in full-time rehab in four weeks time you will be in for sentence.”
“You need to show the court you are serious by going to rehab, not just being referred.”
If Morcombe enters rehab he will be excused from attending on March 20 and the matter adjourned again until he completes rehabilitation.
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