David Tekura: Dandenong mum saved by kids after bloody bashing
‘Blood everywhere’: Scared children called police as they watched their mother being viciously attacked by a binge-drinking thug.
South East
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A boozed-up bully punched, grabbed and dragged his partner around the house by her hair in front of her frightened kids, a court heard.
In April this year David Tekura attacked his then girlfriend so badly there was blood all over the house, holes in the walls and the bathroom door had been kicked off its hinges.
Despite the woman being covered in blood with a black eye and marks all over her swollen face and neck, he downplayed the attack saying “she bruises easily”.
Tekura pleaded guilty to assault, damage, bail and court order breach charges at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard the 36-year-old thug was only stopped because the woman’s children had managed to call police and their biological dad and officers quickly arrived on the scene.
When they got there Tekura maintained his rage, resisting arrest and failing to comply until he was handcuffed and thrown in the back of a divvy van.
The woman’s children had been at the Dandenong home and witnessed the prolonged bashing, which involved her being punched, grabbed around the throat and dragged around the house by her hair.
Police discovered “blood everywhere”, and the children in a hysterical state.
After the violent assault Tekura admitted pulling the woman by her hair and kicking in the door, but denied punching her.
He was later bailed to live in Point Cook, but instead went back to Dandenong and continued working at a local food factory.
He also called and messaged the woman hundreds of times, breaching court orders.
Defence lawyer Louise Wildberger said Tekura had problems with binge-drinking and his “underlying issue has been the excessive consumption of alcohol”.
She said he had no priors for violence and had “shame and remorse” for the way he acted in front of children in the family home.
She said he had already served 42 days on remand, had “sound to good” prospects of rehabilitation and would benefit from support for his alcohol and anger management issues.
Magistrate Greg Connellan said he accepted Tekura had shown insight into his offending, but he also needed to address his childhood trauma or he will struggle to deal with alcohol issues for the rest of his life.
Tekura was jailed for 150 days, minus 42 days he has already served.
He must also do an 18-month community corrections order with conditions he complete alcohol, mental health and men’s behaviour change programs upon release.
