Robert Vivian Summerhayes, 36, from Dorrigo faces Coffs court charged with raft of DV, knife offences

A northern NSW man armed himself with knives and threatened to injure others to avoid arrest for domestic violence offending, it’s been alleged in a Coffs court.

Robert Vivian Summerhayes, 36, (left) leaves Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday, July 2.

A man from the small town of Dorrigo in the Coffs hinterland is facing a raft of serious allegations including that he choked and assaulted a woman and armed himself with knives.

Robert Vivian Summerhayes faced Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday, supported by family members and represented by lawyer Todd Ritchie.

Mr Ritchie told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions may take on the domestic violence-related case, which means it could be escalated a higher court.

Summerhayes, 36, faces multiple charges relating to the same woman including two counts of assault and one count each of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and stalking and intimidation.

Robert Vivian Summerhayes, 36, outside the court. Picture: Janine Watson.

Summerhayes has also been accused by police of choking the same woman without consent.

All five charges stem from an alleged incident at Dorrigo, a picturesque town in the Bellingen Shire, between 11.30am and 2.15pm on June 26 this year.

Summerhayes is further charged with assaulting another woman within the same time frame.

Police allege on the same day Summerhayes armed himself with knives with the intent to commit an indictable offence (wounding), and that he threatened to injure two people – including a police officer – to avoid being apprehended.

He was arrested at Bellingen about 4.30pm on the day of the alleged offending and granted bail.

Summerhayes has not entered pleas to any of the allegations.

He has been ordered to report to police and stay away from the alleged victims while on bail.

The case has been adjourned to July 30.

Originally published as Robert Vivian Summerhayes, 36, from Dorrigo faces Coffs court charged with raft of DV, knife offences