Reginold Dharmadas: Thug choked former partner with power cord

A Keysborough dad strangled his ex with electrical cables and threatened her with a frying pan because he missed his kids.

A violent thug choked his former partner with a power cord, threatened her with frying pan and slapped her.

An angry dad repeatedly attacked his former girlfriend because he missed their children and let his emotions “cloud his judgment”, a court has heard.

Reginold Dharmadas used a power cord to strangle her, said he was going to strike her with a frying pan, slapped her and twisted her wrists in fits of pique because he was unhappy they had separated.

As well as having trouble handling his ire the Keysborough 36-year-old also had problems with alcohol.

Twice he was caught drink-driving and on another occasion he was hammered when he bashed a mate in a fight over a meal.

Dharmadas pleaded guilty to assaults, driving and other charges at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

The court heard in June 2019 he was with the woman and their children at her home when he abused her and put his hands around her throat.

Days later he threatened to hit her with a frying pan, holding it above his head in a menacing fashion.

A few days after that he picked up a power cord, put it around her neck and tightened his grip for three seconds, leaving her struggling to breathe.

In August 2019 he twisted her wrist because he was unhappy she was tending to their baby, and in April last year he slapped her face.

And in July this year he walked up to her vehicle in a Dandenong carpark, trying to open her car door and scaring her.

In April 2019 a drunk Dharmadas punched a mate before getting in his ute and driving off, later blowing an alcohol reading of .119.

In July 2019 he was drunk again in the same ute when he tried to race an unmarked police car before being pulled over, running off without his shirt on and then refusing to take a breath test.

Defence lawyer Daniel Ajak said Dharmadas knew he had problems with anger and alcohol.

“He misses his kids, he let his emotions cloud his judgment,” he said.

He said he had already spent 79 days in custody and submitted he should get a time-served jail term with a therapeutic corrections order to follow.

Magistrate Suzette Dootjes said she would have him assessed for a community order, but believed he would also need to spend more time behind bars.

“There were actual physical assaults as well as threats,” Ms Dootjes said.

“The level of violence is what concerns the court the most.

“A therapeutic order would be of benefit, but in my view the time he has served is not sufficient given the level of offending.”

Dharmadas was remanded in custody to face court again on October 1.