William Giblin pleads guilty to aggravated burglary, assault, affray

A man was involved in two savage home invasions because he was furious his ex-partner had started a relationship with another man, a Geelong court has heard.

William Giblin fronted the County Court at Geelong on Monday, January 20 and pleaded guilty to common law assault, aggravated burglary and affray.

A young man participated in a pair of home invasions because he was enraged at his ex, a Geelong court has heard.

William Giblin, 20, appeared in the County Court at Geelong on Monday, having earlier pleaded guilty to common law assault, aggravated burglary, affray and a summary charge of trespass.

The Warrnambool man was sentenced to eight months in youth justice detention by Judge Gerard Mullaly.

The court heard Giblin was one of several offenders who twice invaded the Warrnambool home of his ex-partner’s new boyfriend – referred to as Mr B – in September 2023.

In the first attack, on September 15, Giblin joined several others who went to the home, one of whom, Bailey Sutcliffe, was armed with a machete.

Inside, Sutcliffe swung the machete at Mr B and the two wrestled.

Giblin’s ex-partner grabbed a kitchen knife to keep the other home invaders away and Giblin kicked her in the legs.

The group fled after Sutcliffe was stabbed in the arm, the court heard.

Five days later, rather than come to their senses after “this appalling and disastrous criminal attack”, they went back, having concocted a scheme where an associate arranged to buy marijuana from Mr B.

This time Sutcliffe was armed with a wheel iron and he again attacked the man, however, the man grabbed a knife and stabbed Sutcliffe in the stomach and a violent brawl ensued.

Giblin’s lawyer, Katherine Rolfe, submitted several elements in mitigation on his behalf, including Giblin’s youth, his disadvantaged background, lack of criminal priors and diagnoses of complex-PTSD and ADHD.

Giblin had strong family support and prospects for rehabilitation, Ms Rolfe said.

In sentencing, Judge Mullaly said the crimes were serious and told Giblin the victims were entitled to form a new relationship, “without retribution or revenge from you”.

“The violent response of men when relationships end, when the female begins a new relationship, is appalling behaviour, which our community and our courts will not tolerate,” Judge Mullaly said.

Judge Mullaly described the impact on the victim and how she suffered ongoing panic attacks, depression and anxiety, financial and housing insecurity and had moved interstate for her own safety.

He said while Giblin had pleaded guilty, it was not an early plea and “not a lot can be said for empathetic remorse”, noting Giblin continued to deny assaulting his ex-partner.

In sentencing Giblin, Judge Mullaly opted for youth justice detention, a sentence allowed under the state’s dual track system, which allows adult courts to sentence offenders under the age of 21 to youth detention.

He told Giblin that if he hadn’t pleaded guilty, the sentence would have been 20 months.

Sutcliffe was last year jailed for a maximum of five years.

Originally published as William Giblin pleads guilty to aggravated burglary, assault, affray