Domestic violence offender Zane Alchin of Caringbah pleads guilty to contravening AVO with prison phone calls

A south Sydney man jailed for horrific acts of domestic violence got his cellmate’s friend to divert calls to his ex-partner’s phone from prison, breaching court orders. Here’s what we know.

Zane Alchin, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening an apprehended domestic violence order. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A Caringbah man has admitted he went to “great lengths” to hide contacting his ex-partner from prison while he awaited court for horrific acts of domestic violence.

Zane Alchin, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of contravening an apprehended domestic violence order.

Alchin appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Monday after he was jailed for 18 months.

That came after he was found guilty of four charges, including assault and intimidation, following a hearing at Downing Centre Local Court last year.

Alchin was found not guilty of another 11 charges, including choking without consent, while he pleaded guilty to using a phone to harass his ex-partner.

His sentence was backdated to his arrest in July 2022 and he was released from custody in June.

Zane Alchin at Sutherland Local Court. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Alchin and his ex-partner’s on-again-off-again relationship was “marred by reported assaults and intimidations”, according to agreed facts tendered to the court.

Following his arrest and domestic violence charges, Alchin was served with an apprehended domestic violence order to protect his ex.

On Christmas Day 2022, the woman received a missed call and a voice message from Alchin saying “hi, I was just ringing to say Merry Christmas, bye”.

Alchin called twice from the same number and on the third call the woman answered.

She heard an automated message: “You are receiving a call from the John Morony Correctional centre”.

The woman accepted and recognised Alchin’s voice.

At one stage, the woman said “what do you mean, you’re in jail because you f------ abused me” and Alchin responded with, “yeah so where do we go from here?”

Zane Alchin during a previous court appearance.

Alchin repeatedly asked for her address but she refused.

The woman told police she believed Alchin wanted to know where she lived so he could see her when he was released.

Alchin called again later that night and they had a conversation before the woman hung up.

On January 22 last year, the woman reported the AVO breach.

She provided her phone’s call log to police and said Alchin was the only person she knew in prison.

She told police she referred to Alchin by name during the call and he responded.

Police checked Alchin’s prison call log but nothing was found so officers asked for the logs of Alchin’s cellmate.

Police determined Alchin called his cellmate’s friend, who then diverted calls to the woman’s mobile.

Alchin was charged on June 5 – a day after he was released from prison.

Police were delayed in charging Alchin because of “great lengths” he went to in jail to hide his contact with his ex, the documents state.

Police state: “This contact shows he is well aware of the conditions of the apprehended domestic violence order with this victim and has shown complete disregard for the conditions placed upon him by a NSW court.”

Alchin has a “history relating to domestic violence incidents and charges” and he “breached different AVOs with different victims and served custodial sentences as a result”.

Alchin will be sentenced on March 5.