Gold Coast domestic violence: Brisbane-based District Court Judge Paul Smith voices concern over number of cases

A VISITING judge has voiced concern at the amount of domestic violence cases on the Gold Coast amid a week of heartbreaking offences. HERE’S WHAT HIS HONOUR SAID

A VISITING senior judge has voiced concern at the alarming number of domestic violence cases on the Gold Coast amid a week of heartbreaking offences.

Brisbane-based District Court Judge Paul Smith talked about the crisis yesterday during a sentencing hearing for a 25-year-old who pleaded guilty to attacks on the mother of his child.

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The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to sickening attacks on the mother of his child.

The experienced judge, who has worked in Central Queensland, is helping with sentencing at the Southport District Court this week.

“It seems there are a lot of domestic violence cases on the Gold Coast,” Judge Smith said.

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His Honour Judge Paul Smith.

He asked prosecution barrister Phil McCarthy, also from Brisbane, if the high number of cases was due to “the luck of the draw”, or because the Gold Coast has specialist domestic violence courts.

“That would be the inference I would draw from that,” Mr McCarthy said regarding the domestic violence courts.

“It is a continuing problem for the country, recognised by the legislation in different states — particularly our state.”

Barrister Phil McCarthy.

Judge Smith said the astounding number of cases was concerning and a large cost to the community.

“It just seems like a lot, that’s all, it’s a real concern,” he said.

The 25-year-old offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to wounding, assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage and driving offences.

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The court heard the man had a disagreement with his partner and the pair, who recently had a baby together, began pushing each other last year following a night of drinking.

The woman told her father about the exchange so he called the man, who warned he was coming back to the home and kicked a rail on the baby’s bed when he arrived.

A judge has voiced concern about the number of domestic violence cases on the Gold Coast.

The court heard he demanded his child, but the father refused, so he pulled two 20cm kitchen knives from a drawer, in a threatening manner.

The woman tried stop the fight by grabbing at the knives, but her thumb was cut so badly tendons were exposed.

In a later incident, the man headbutted the woman, while she held their baby.

The blow sparked a 25 minute argument where he “yelled at her to stop crying”, kicked her in the ribs and legs before he pressed his fist into her jaw as she lay on a bed.

Despite the violence, the court heard the man felt the relationship was “not beyond repair”, after spending more than 12 months in custody.

The court heard the man was hopeful of continuing the relationship and planned on taking part in domestic violence courses.

The man was given a three year suspended sentence with a parole release date set for yesterday.

Judge Smith told the man “unless you do something with your problems it won’t work”.

He said it was unfortunate the man was not able to take part in domestic violence courses while he was in custody.

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“It’s a waste of 12 months, he has nothing to show for it,” Judge Smith said.

The man was given a three-year suspended sentence with a parole release date set for yesterday.

The 391 days he had spent in custody was considered time already served.

In the next case heard by Judge Smith, a man pleaded guilty to pulling a loaded, homemade gun on his former partner, among other offences.

Judge Smith gave him a two-year suspended sentence with a parole release date set for yesterday. The 254 days spent in custody was considered time already served.

It followed days of multiple domestic violence choking cases heard at Southport Court, where at least two women were strangled so badly they became incontinent.