Perth screenwriter Daniel Houghton avoids jail over violent incident

Award-winning Perth screenwriter Daniel Houghton has avoided time behind bars for a "frightening" and violent incident in which he held his partner captive.

Filmmaker Daniel Houghton has avoided jail over a violent incident with his girlfriend.

Award-winning Perth screenwriter Daniel Houghton has avoided time behind bars over a "frightening" and violent incident in which he held his partner against her will in his parents' Applecross home.

Houghton, who is also known as Jimmy the Exploder, refused to let his then 21-year-old model girlfriend leave after an argument erupted over text messages in January 2017.

When police arrived to rescue the terrified victim, the 41-year-old continued his angry rampage by abusing officers and sitting behind the victim's car so it could not be driven away.

Sentencing Houghton today to 18 months in jail, suspended for 18 months, District Court Judge Ronald Birmingham said he "violently and forcefully" the held the "vulnerable" victim captive in a bedroom for between 15 and 20 minutes.

An argument had earlier broken out between the pair at dinner, after the victim confronted Houghton about text messages from other women and said she wanted to leave the relationship.

Houghton thwarted the victim's repeated attempts to leave the house, slamming her against the wall twice and pushing her against the bed.

Judge Birmingham said Houghton had pulled his hair out and banged his fists against the wall during the ordeal, likening his behaviour to a "temper tantrum".

"(You are) known as Jimmy the Exploder at times, which is perhaps appropriate in the circumstances," Judge Birmingham said.

Houghton snatched the victim's phone when she said she was going to call police, but she was eventually able to phone her mother without him knowing, who then called triple-0.

When police knocked at the door, he continued to try to prevent the victim from leaving but she pushed past, with Houghton's tirade continuing until he was arrested for obstructing officers.

Judge Birmingham previously said Houghton's behaviour was so bad it would not be unremarkable if police tasered him, and today said he was "in admiration of the police ... in the face of your abuse".

"Others older and more intolerant might well have responded differently,” he said.

Judge Birmingham said Houghton terrified his victim, who in a victim impact statement said she felt "incredibly sad" she allowed someone to manipulate her, and that her former boyfriend took away her happiness and youth.

The judge accepted Houghton, who had undergone rehabilitation for alcohol and anger management issues, acted out of character and that he now conceded "his behaviour on that night was deplorable".

He noted depression and anxiety was a factor in Houghton's ability to "exercise sound judgement" on the night, and that he had consumed alcohol, but said his intoxication was not a mitigating factor.

"I accept you are ashamed of what you did."

Judge Birmingham pointed to Houghton's filmmaking career, saying he had found "success and acclaim", referring to his success with the film The Black Balloon.

While he said the crime was very serious, it was in the best interest of the community that Houghton serve his sentence outside of prison, saying he would have jailed him if he had not attempted to rehabilitate himself.

Houghton pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful assault, obstructing police, disorderly conduct and two counts of breaching protective bail conditions.

He was found guilty of deprivation of liberty after a trial that included humiliating accusations to cast the victim in a bad light, including that she had an eating disorder.

As well as the suspended sentence, Houghton was fined $3500 for assault, which will be paid to the victim, as well as $750 for disorderly conduct and $1000 for twice breaching protective bail conditions.

He was sentenced to three months jail for obstructing police, which was also suspended and will be served at the same time as the 1 ½ year sentence.

Houghton breached his bail in February 2017 when he approached the victim at a Northbridge bar and sent her friend a text message that was meant for her.

A lifetime restraining order was imposed to protect the victim.

Originally published as Perth screenwriter Daniel Houghton avoids jail over violent incident