Fresh court claims against magistrate Richard Pithouse

MAGISTRATE Richard Pithouse refused a police application to protect the wife of a prisoner who was later attacked by the man.

WRONG-WAY magistrate Richard Pithouse refused a police application to protect the wife of a violent prisoner who was later stalked and attacked by the man.

 Mr Pithouse's conduct sparked two formal complaints to Chief Magistrate Ian Gray in November, but it seems no action was taken.

According to the complaints, the magistrate refused to hear evidence including threats to bash and kill written by the jailbird.

The Sunday Herald Sun revealed last week that Mr Pithouse refused to hear a sex assault victim's impact statement after he was late, going to Ararat first, not Ballarat.

Mr Gray said he believed it was important victims had a voice in the justice system.

"I am meeting with Mr Pithouse shortly and will counsel him accordingly," he said.

In October, Ballarat police applied for an intervention order against a man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on behalf of his wife as his prison release date drew near.

But Mr Pithouse refused the application without hearing any evidence, the complaint said.

A Ballarat welfare organisation later complained to Mr Gray after Mr Pithouse refused to hear evidence of the man's threatening letters.

The complaint said the magistrate had bizarrely accused police of conducting a vendetta against the prisoner. Another formal complaint over the episode was made by detective Sgt Craig Dooley.

Prison letters sent by the man, but ignored by the court, included the threat "I'll kill her literally if she introduces guys to my wife".

He also wrote "The ---ts have to be dealt with before I go out with a bang" and "I'm going to bash you with a cricket bat 100 per cent".

On release the man phoned his wife daily and threatened to burn down her grandmother's house.

The harassment reached its peak on December 30 when he threatened her with a kitchen knife, a court later heard.

A violent scuffle ensued in which the woman stabbed her attacker with the knife he was wielding - an offence for which she has been charged.

The woman had in the interim successfully obtained an intervention order against her husband by appearing before a different magistrate.

The man is on remand for breaching an intervention order and threatening a police officer with a razor blade.

Justice advocate Steve Medcraft slammed the Chief Magistrate's failure to act.

"It seems it's an exclusive boy's club for magistrates," he said.

The Justice Department would not say how many complaints had been made about Mr Pithouse.

- with  Liam Houlihan