Uncle who assaulted niece in a fight over fish avoids a prison sentence, is convicted and fined

A Carrum Downs man was so angry his niece wouldn’t eat his “lovely” home-cooked meal of flathead tails that he pulled her out of bed and grabbed her by the jaw. But despite the “dominating and assertive” attack, there was a reason he was spared jail.

A fight over flathead tails resulted in Christopher Goode assaulting his niece.

An uncle grabbed his niece by the jaw because she wouldn’t get out of bed to eat his delicious evening meal of flathead tails, a court has heard.

Christopher Goode, 62, wanted her to appreciate his culinary skills but became angry that she would rather talk to her boyfriend on the phone than feast on his fish.

So he grabbed her arm and she fell to the ground before he pulled her up from the floor by her jaw.

AVI YEMINI IN COURT OVER KNIFE ASSAULT

SON THREATENS TO KILL DAD, BURN DOWN HOUSE

FATHER BASHES DAUGHTER WITH ROLLING PIN

SON SLAPPED WITH BOND FOR PUNCHING MUM

Police were called and Goode was arrested.

In Frankston Magistrates’ Court today, he pleaded guilty to one unlawful assault charge.

The court heard his niece, a 24-year-old from the Philippines who was in Melbourne studying, was staying temporarily at Goode’s and his partner’s Carrum Downs home.

About 7pm on February 18 this year Goode went to the woman’s bedroom and knocked on her door, saying dinner was ready.

With no response, he shouted at her to get up and come and eat.

He went into her bedroom and tried to pull her out of bed by her arm.

She tried to get free, fell to the floor and was again ordered to go to her meal.

Goode then grabbed her by the jaw with both hands and tried to pull her up, but the crying woman managed to get away and fled into a bathroom.

Police were called and found the woman visibly upset, crying and scared.

Goode declined to be interviewed. The woman was not injured in the assault.

In court, Goode’s defence lawyer said the business owner treated the woman like his daughter, paying her school fees in the Philippines and her upkeep over here.

She said he had “cooked the lovely meal for her” but was disappointed she was on the phone and refused to come out of her bedroom, and the assault was “at the minor end”.

Magistrate Leonard Brear said it was only Goode’s clean record that kept him out of jail, and any violent repeat would result in prison time.

“This is very arrogant and bullying type of behaviour,” Mr Brear said.

“You acted in a dominating, assertive and hurtful way.”

Goode was convicted and fined $1000.