Woman’s alleged terror at hands of ex-AFL star
Shocking details of ex-AFL star Andrew Lovett’s alleged 22-month domestic abuse campaign against his police officer partner have been revealed.
Police & Courts
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She swore to protect the community and uphold the law.
But who was there to protect to her?
On this morning, before she put on her navy blue threads, this policewoman had to hide a dark secret.
With each stroke of the make-up brush, she slowly covered up the bruises on her face.
The night before, her boyfriend, former AFL star Andrew Lovett, had allegedly punched her to the face with a closed fist.
She put on a brave face and went to work in a busy suburban police unit dedicated to bringing sexual predators to justice.
A few days later, she took a photograph on her phone of her bruised face as evidence.
Sadly, it is now being alleged it was not the first time he had lashed out at her.
And would not be the last.
The 2005 Anzac Day medallist is now facing at least 88 charges with court documents revealing assault, recklessly and intentionally causing injury, stalking and breaches of bail among them.
The shocking details of his alleged 22-month domestic abuse campaign against her were aired as Lovett, 39, was arrested and faced Dandenong Magistrates Court this month.
The court heard in a series of attacks between February last year and his arrest on December 9, he had choked, punched, kicked, spat on and even poured a beer over his 36-year-old victim.
Other times he allegedly threatened to slash her tyres, and claimed he’d have bikies run through her property, sending her pics of one of his burly mates in her driveway.
He also falsely told her he had cheated with his ex-partner and got her pregnant to upset her.
In March this year, a night out on the town together after attending the Essendon versus Hawthorn match at Marvel Stadium allegedly ended in a vicious assault where she was knocked unconscious.
The court heard, after checking messages on her phone, he confronted her in the shower and accused her of cheating on him.
He smashed the phone on the wall then repeatedly punched her in the head, it was alleged.
She fell on the ground in a foetal position. He then allegedly kicked her.
She does not know how long she was unconscious for.
On another night, after being at an AFL function, the court heard he came home drunk and started spitting in her face and poured his beer over her.
A date night at Longrain Thai restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD turned to disaster when they kicked on at a bar with friends and he accused her of checking out another man.
On another occasion when he took her car and went out with friends, she blocked their joint credit card so he wouldn’t overspend on booze.
“This enraged him,” Senior Constable Matt Davey told the court.
Lovett allegedly text her: “I hope you, your mum and your nan die you f---ing c---.”
Mr Davey said when the former Essendon midfielder got home the next morning, he pulled the blankets off his girlfriend as she slept and demanded she drive him to work.
She told him to get an Uber.
Lovett later struck her across the legs with his Esky lunch box, Sen Constable Davey said, as he was annoyed she hadn’t made his lunch.
In one of the first incidents on Feb 10 last year, he grabbed her so ferociously that he left bruises and finger marks on her arms — all because she was listening to music and he wanted to go to bed, the court heard.
“He told her it was her fault as she’d made him angry,” Sen Constable Davey said.
That was a running theme in the 10-page prosecution summary read out in court.
Lovett, representing himself in the bail application hearing on December 10, tried to portray his ex as a drunk and the aggressor in their relationship.
He explained how she came home from an event where she told him she had spoken to AFL players Sam Fisher and Adam Treloar “to make me a jealous, raging person”.
The court did hear of a time when she lunged at him with a knife, causing him injury.
“I pose no risk to her or anyone,” Lovett told the court.
Lovett tried to use his Aboriginal heritage and the fact it was his first time in custody as exceptional circumstances to land freedom.
He also spruiked he was now undertaking a behaviour change program.
He said he had given up drinking, smoking and gambling.
“I’ve not had a drink,” he said, clarifying later, “for six months”.
“I don’t drink anymore. I seek help for that.
“I’ve got a psychiatrist. I don’t party. I don’t head out.
“I don’t pose a threat to anybody. I will 100 per cent comply with the bail conditions.”
He had been working in the construction industry, he said, helping to build a hospital but left that job in August “due to all the stresses”.
He said he was doing everything to “be a better man and father”.
In a four-hour record of interview on December 9, the court heard Lovett gave “partial admissions” when the offending was put to him.
“But nothing involving causing injury,” Mr Davey said.
Opposing bail, prosecutor Emma Fargher said they were “serious offences”.
“We’re dealing with family violence offending from February 2020 to December 2021,” Ms Fargher said
She said the violence had escalated to “choking and striking to the face” in June this year.
The court heard since then, and while bailed on condition he did not contact her, he kept calling and texting her, and using his brother, Djuran Lovett’s Instagram account to message her.
Lovett explained the breach in court as a “slip up”.
Ms Fargher said on November 28, the alleged victim came home to find Lovett parked outside.
“The complainant is frightened for her own safety,” Ms Fargher said.
Ultimately, the magistrate refused bail, saying Lovett posed an unacceptable risk of reoffending if released.
Lovett returned to court on Thursday, but this time with his barrister, David Grace QC, who had represented him when he was acquitted of two counts of rape following a County Court trial in 2011.
Lovett’s professional footy career came to end in 2010 when the Saints sacked him after he was charged over the rape of a woman at the home of teammate Jason Gram in 2009.
He had only just been traded to St Kilda at the end of the 2009 season after playing 88 games for Essendon between 2005 and 2009.
Mr Grace said his client wished to apply for bail again, remarking it was “most unfortunate” when told the court could not accommodate such an application until next month, signalling the former footy player would have to spend Christmas in the clink.
“Ah f---,” Lovett could be heard saying as he appeared via videolink from the Metropolitan Remand Centre.
Mr Grace told the court “due to the sensitive nature of this matter, in circumstances where the alleged victim is a member of the police force” police prosecutors would be removed from the case.
The brief would be handed to the Victorian Government Solicitor Office to avoid any conflict of interest.
Lovett returns to court on January 11.
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