Shane Gregory Ralph jailed in Taree court for DV offences after visiting corrections officer while high on magic mushrooms

A Mid-North Coast tradie who took magic mushrooms before seeing his corrections officer was slammed as “shameless” due to his lack of remorse for domestic violence.

Ralph was under the influence of magic mushrooms when he visited a community corrections officer, the court heard.

A Taree carpenter who took magic mushrooms before seeing his corrections officer has been described as “shameless” for his lack of remorse and jailed for domestic violence.

Shane Gregory Ralph appeared before Taree Local Court on Monday for sentencing.

The 38-year-old had pleaded guilty to two domestic violence related charges – stalk or intimidate, intending to cause fear of physical violence and contravening a prohibition in an apprehended violence order.

He had been on strict bail since the offending against his ex-wife, which took place in the Old Bar area between 9am on January 5 and 2.15pm on January 31.

Magistrate Allison Hawkins told the court Ralph’s sentencing assessment report was one of the worst she had ever seen.

She said he showed no remorse for his actions and repeated “vile words shamelessly” about his victim to his corrections officer.

Ralph faced Taree Local Court.

Ralph sent more than 70 texts to his ex-wife, according to court documents. Some were amicable but many were threatening and abusive.

One of the messages read; “You’re a dead c--t” and “I’m so glad you’re a stumpy fat troll now”.

Ralph, from the semirural Lansdowne area northeast of Taree, was ordered to abstain from drugs and alcohol after his arrest and release on conditional bail.

But his lawyer told the court an “opportunistic find” of magic mushrooms in a paddock on the way to see the corrections officer led him to the “regrettable” decision to take the psychoactive fungi and end up under the influence.

Ms Hawkins told the court it was a fanciful story but even “if it were true” it showed an inability to comply with court orders.

Ralph’s lawyer also said “for the first time in his life” Ralph was prepared to leave the Taree area and create a new life around a full-time job in Coffs Harbour.

Ms Hawkins said apprehended violence orders were not just “a piece of paper” and told Ralph the situation he found himself in was “nobody’s fault but your own”.

Ralph was sentenced to 13 months in prison with an eight month non-parole period.

He will be eligible for release on December 29 this year.