Tyler Cox: Edithvale thug hit mum, punched sister in fight over ciggies
An Edithvale man who ran out of smokes took his rage out on his family, laying into his mother and smacking his sister more than 20 times.
South East
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A brute who bashed his mum and punched his sister because he didn’t have any cigarettes left has been jailed.
Tyler Cox was sentenced to eight months behind bars after he admitted launching the violent attack that left both women requiring a trip to the hospital.
The Edithvale 26-year-old had also punched his mum and pulled her hair a few months before.
He pleaded guilty to unlawful assault and other offences at the Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard on April 20 this year Cox was at the family home when he demanded cigarettes and money from his mother.
She refused to give him anything so he swore at and abused her.
His sister heard the commotion and came out of her room to see what was happening, only to be met by a barrage of blows.
Cox punched her in the face and body 20 to 25 times with a clenched fist, then turned back to his mum and hit her as well.
She fell over and he ran off, barefoot, out of the house.
Police were called but couldn’t locate him.
Both victims were taken to hospital by ambulance for observation, but luckily didn’t suffer any major injuries.
Cox was found a day later at a Cheltenham tyre store and was arrested.
He denied both assaults, saying his mum and sister “were lying”.
This wasn’t Cox’s first family fight.
On November 15 last year his mum was sitting on her bed when he approached her, grabbed her hair and struck her to her face four or five times.
She suffered bruising to her cheek and blacked out momentarily in the unprovoked assault.
A few days later his sister became aware of the attack and reported the incident to police, but Cox denied he had even been at the house.
Defence lawyer Jacqueline Kennedy said her client had a history of drug-induced psychosis and was not well at the time.
She said he was now stable on his medication and had support available upon release.
She said he had already spent more than four months on remand and that was “enough time”.
Magistrate Charles Tan didn’t agree, telling him there was “absolutely no excuse” for the assaults, especially considering his poor criminal record.
“You have done a lot of jail time for someone who has just turned 26,” Mr Tan said.
“These offences are serious, they are against members of your own family, in their home.
“You caused harm and fear on two separate occasions.”
Cox was convicted and jailed for eight months, minus 141 days he has already served.
