Belmont man Damien Smith threatened to leak woman’s nudes after violent attack

After forcing a woman to flee his violent assaults, a Belmont man threatened to leak her intimate images if she did not return home.

Belmont man Damien Smith told a woman he would kill her during a terrifying assault. Picture: Facebook.

A Belmont man choked a woman during a terrifying assault that forced her to flee for her life and then threatened to leak her intimate images and explicit videos online if she did not come back.

An 18-month-old child watched on as Damien Smith, 46, held her mother down on the bed and told the woman he was going to “f------ kill you” during a frightening assault in November last year.

The Geelong Magistrates Court heard Smith, who pleaded guilty to assault and possessing a drug of dependence, shoved the woman into a bedroom in the unit they shared and pushed her onto the bed.

Smith then climbed on top of the woman, put both hands around her neck and squeezed for about 40 seconds.

The woman’s 18-month-old child was in the room when Damien Smith choked her for 40 seconds. Picture: Facebook.

The woman told police she felt pressure start to build behind her eyes and had struggled to push Smith off her.

Her young child was in the room at the time and cried hysterically.

When he did release her, the woman picked up her child and they both fled to a neighbouring home where they hid outside.

Smith followed her out and found her, but the woman managed to make it back inside the unit just as a friend arrived.

The two women made a plan to escape and were successfully able to make it out of the house without Smith knowing.

When he realised she was gone, Smith sent her a number of frightening and “abusive” text messages.

Belmont man Damien Smith threatened to leak intimate images of the victim if she did not return to their home. Picture: Facebook.

In some, he threatened to post intimate images and sexually explicit videos of the victim on pornography websites and social media if she did not return to the unit by 11pm that same night.

The woman went to a service station later that day and saw one of Smith’s associates, who she suspected tipped him off.

When Smith arrived, the woman hid in the bathroom with her child.

Smith texted her again to tell her he would “get you both” and then threatened to return for her if he ended up in police custody.

“I will get bail and get you. Or do a sentence and come for you. Worst mistake of your life you have ever made,” one text from Smith read.

Smith’s lawyer, Tim Hancock, said Smith had a long and relevant criminal history and has been found to be a “serious violent offender”.

“(He has a) fairly well entrenched pattern of behaviour.

Mr Hancock said Smith has a substance abuse problem with ice and has lived a mostly transient lifestyle, often travelling to and from Tasmania where members of his family still lives.

Mr Hancock said Smith is “really wanting to make some changes”.

Smith will return in March for sentencing.

Originally published as Belmont man Damien Smith threatened to leak woman’s nudes after violent attack