Dad Mahlon Leedie attacks young mum, smashes windshield glass over their baby in ‘appalling tantrum’
A young man who choked his ex-girlfriend and smashed glass over their infant child was unable to access any domestic violence rehabilitation programs while waiting months on remand.
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A Queensland man who choked his ex-girlfriend and smashed glass over their infant child was unable to access any domestic violence rehabilitation programs while waiting months on remand.
Mahlon Leedie appeared before Darwin Local Court judge Stephen Geary earlier this month to plead guilty to two counts of aggravated assault and engaging in conduct that contravenes a domestic violence order.
The 28-year-old was arrested on New Year’s Day following a prolonged assault on the mother of his child, in which she was hit, thrown to the ground, slammed against a car and watched as Leedie smashed her windshield in a violent rage.
Horrifying CCTV of the assault showed Leedie screaming at the mother of his child, before attacking her and swinging a metal pole down on to her vehicle while their terrified child was in the car.
“The f—king kids are in there,” their mother yelled after he smashed into her windscreen.
“You f—ked me up motherf—ker … you can get f—ked,” Leedie yelled back.
CCTV then showed the young mother trying to defend her child who was “covered in glass”, only for Leedie to grab her by the neck and repeatedly push her against a car.
Mr Geary said it was “a lot more” than a frightening attack, as the 28-year-old became “completely divorced from your ability to control your actions”.
“It’s so unbelievably selfish, such an appalling tantrum, putting his own child at risk,” Mr Geary said.
“It’s so patently obvious that she’s acting in self defence … and frankly, in attempts to protect her child.”
Mr Geary heard that the child was not physically injured, but said the psychological scars would be there even for a very young infant.
“You might think to yourself, ‘what does a seven-month-old know about what is going on?’ — but children are very perceptive,” he said.
“Children don’t know why parents are fighting, but they know that something very stressful and traumatic is occurring.
“It affects their brain development, it affects their emotional development.
“When you act as you do, you’re being an appalling father and an appalling role model for your children.”
Mr Geary was told that Leedie had been on remand in overcrowded conditions for 199 days — six months — since his arrest in January.
His defence lawyer said the 28-year-old was involved in the ‘Peer educator, listener scheme’, a support service provided by fellow prisoners to cope with the difficulties in a prison environment, helps with reading and writing, and provide emotional and psychical health advice.
However in the six months he has been locked up on serious family violence charges, the 28-year-old remained on the waiting list for the prison-based domestic violence program.
This is despite choking being a known red flag, with the court told that 50 per cent of all victims of family violence homicides had experienced a non-fatal strangulation before their death.
Leedie told the court he wanted to get a “fresh start” and leave the Territory for Queensland, where all of his family — apart from his seven month old child — were living.
On Friday July 18, he was sentenced to a total of 10 months in prison, backdated and suspended as of Monday July 21, with the 28-year-old to remain under a 12-month suspended sentence.
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Originally published as Dad Mahlon Leedie attacks young mum, smashes windshield glass over their baby in ‘appalling tantrum’
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