Ben Dambiec in court for alleged attack on his partner
A blazing row between a young couple allegedly turned into a night of terror at the hands of the knife wielding boyfriend. Police allege the 19-year-old told his partner to ‘wash the dishes’ before allegedly repeatedly kicking and punching her. Police allege he later started swinging a knife at her before police were called.
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A teenage tradie allegedly demanded his girlfriend wash the dishes before embarking on a night-long tirade of repeatedly kicking her in the stomach, punching her in the head and swinging a knife at her.
Benjamin Dambiec, 19, of Kensington has been charged with common assault, armed with intent, stalk and intimidate and possessing an unauthorised and unregistered firearm.
The last two charges were laid after his terrified partner allegedly discovered a realistic looking Glock pistol, which turned out to be a loaded gel gun, inside Dambiec’s Gucci satchel when she was trying to retrieve the spare key to her Sans Souci home.
Dambiec, who appeared in Waverley Local Court on Thursday via audio video link from the Maroubra Police Station cells, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate Ross Hudson read aloud from the police fact sheet during the young roofer’s release application.
The court heard the saga began on Tuesday night at his partner’s home.
“They were eating dinner and a heated argument has started. He called her a b**** and c*** and said ‘go wash the dishes’,” Magistrate Hudson read.
The court heard Dambiec allegedly shoved her in the shoulders around 30 times before kicking her in the stomach and on her lower body about 15 times.
She then retreated to the balcony to hide, according to the police fact sheet, before going to bed about 9.40pm.
When she woke sobbing in the early hours of the following morning unable to go back to sleep, police allege Dambiec told her to “shut the f*** up” and pulled her back onto the bed by the hair before punching her in the head five times.
It was at this point that the court heard Dambiec allegedly returned with a knife and she began to film the ordeal.
“He grabbed a knife off the kitchen bench, held knife in his right hand and threatened to stab the victim if she did not go back to sleep,” the police facts read.
“I will kill you c***. F*** the phone, the phone is not going to save you,” Dambiec allegedly said.
The court heard Dambiec began “slashing” the bed and “swinging” the knife at her legs about 50 times although he stopped short of making contact with her body.
“The victim called her mother stating, ‘call the police he has a knife’,” Magistrate Hudson read aloud.
Dambiec, dressed in footy shorts and a hoodie, shook his head and wiped tears away as Magistrate Hudson read the harrowing facts to the court.
The accused’s legal aid solicitor argued he should be released into the custody of his mother and grandmother in Kensington.
She told the court in addition to his full time work as a roofer, he was a third year carpentry apprentice studying at TAFE.
Aside from a single driving related matter, Dambiec’s adult record is clean, the solicitor told the court and he would be vulnerable in prison due to his youth.
“This is an ongoing series of attacks on a female in her own premises,” Magistrate Hudson said.
“If convicted, he would likely spend a period in full time custody.”
Magistrate Hudson refused Dambiec’s bail application causing the young man to burst into tears.
“Please, Your Honour,” he begged.
The case will return to court on November 10.