Man who hit girlfriend with frying pan, attacked man with sword spared jail

A man who beat his partner with a frying pan at a campground before stomping on her has been granted “another go in the community” after a Frankston court heard the father-of-seven was “down on his luck”.

A man who bashed his girlfriend with a fry pan has been sentenced at Frankston Magistrates Court.

A short-tempered brute who smacked his ex-girlfriend over the head with a frying pan in a heated campground bashing in the state’s east has walked from jail.

And Jay McCann continued to beat the woman despite her pleading for him to stop and putting her arm up to defend herself.

The Frankston Magistrates Court heard the 36-year-old cannabis smoker laid a punch into his then partner’s face before pulling her to the ground and stomping on her after they became embroiled in an argument at the Caringal Scout Campground on August 18 last year.

The father of seven to different mothers then struck the woman over the head several times as she pleaded for him to stop.

The disturbing incident followed another wild assault where McCann launched at a housemate with a samurai sword on November 18, 2018 after he accused the victim of speaking with one of his ex partners.

The prosecution said the pair became involved in a scuffle before smashing through the front window of their Benalla home about 9am.

The woman was not seriously injured, however McCann and the sword victim were left with cuts and scratches which required stitches.

The prosecution said McCann, who pleaded guilty to charges including possess weapon and unlawful assault, admitted the sword was his after police found it at his property on January 17 last year.

McCann also pleaded guilty to theft of a car and aggravated burglary after he snuck into another ex-partner’s bedroom and took her car keys as she slept before driving her Chrysler interstate on January 16 of this year.

McCann and his pet dog were eventually stopped by police in New South Wales before he told them the car was “agreed” to be his as well as labelling his ex as a “sh** c***”.

McCann’s lawyer said his client had been “down on his luck” and rendered homeless following a series of tragic events including the death of his mother, the still birth of one of his children and a fire which claimed a property he was living in with three of his children.

He said the woman involved in the fry pan attack was using ice at the time.

“When the house burned down he fell apart,” the defence said.

“(McCann) has lived a reasonably sad sort of life.”

McCann, who had a black eye in court, is due to have surgery for a broken orbital bone this week after he was allegedly set upon by another prisoner who was believed to be withdrawing from ice.

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Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said McCann was being dealt with “mercifully” on the aggravated burglary charge but only because he was sleeping in a car in the backyard at the time he took the Chrysler and that he was known to the victim.

He also noted that McCann had a friend willing to accommodate him in Warragul.

“There seems to be a pattern where (McCann) is getting involved in violent behaviour whether it’s a partner, housemate or prisoner,” he said.

“You’re on a razor’s edge …(but) I’m going to give you another go in the community.”

McCann was convicted and sentenced to an 18 month community corrections order and was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work.