Man struck, spat on, pressed and pushed wife in social media fight over her Facebook friends
A husband who spat on and attacked his wife for using social media was “controlling and violent” for 17 years, a court has heard. The Bentleigh East bank worker received a good behaviour bond for the “serious case of family violence”.
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An angry husband hit his wife and spat in her face blaming his rage on her use of social media.
Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court heard Suraj Panicker, 42 had been “controlling and violent” throughout their 17-year marriage, with his rage coming to a head on August 30 last year.
About 7.30am an argument between the Bentleigh East bank worker and his wife ensued over her chatting with friends on Facebook.
He had told her not to contact them, and was annoyed “she wasn’t obeying him”, the court heard.
He then struck her three times, spat in her face, pressed her breasts hard and pushed her backwards into a wall.
Later that day she went to the doctor’s complaining of dizziness, headaches, a swollen face and sore breasts.
She then went to the police and reported her husband, telling them of the incident and that there had also been a “history of violence” and “controlling behaviour”, and he was arrested the next day.
He told officers he admitted pushing his wife but denied striking her, saying “sometimes I get a little bit angry, sometimes I snap”.
Panicker’s defence lawyer said he and his wife, who was in court to support her husband, had reconciled and he was now “in a much better headspace”.
He said the bank financial consultant was under a lot of stress at the time due to his father’s death and he had now sought medical help from doctors.
He said the couple was planning to go back to India to live near both of their extended families over the next few months, where there would be ongoing support.
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Magistrate Therese McCarthy said the charge was a serious case of family violence.
“Your wife was hurt, and as a consequence, she made a report about your long history of controlling behaviour,” Ms McCarthy said.
But she also said he had no priors, and there had to be a focus on rehabilitation and him learning from this experience.
Panicker was placed on a two-year good behaviour bond, must undergo a men’s behaviour change program and pay $500 to the court fund. No conviction was recorded.