Bernadine Dixon: Alice Springs DV victim pours boiling billy over her abusive partner, pleads guilty
An Alice Springs woman whose violent partner was badgering her to drop domestic violence charges against him poured a billy of boiling water over his head after he flung a cup of tea at her, a court has heard.
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An Alice Springs woman whose violent husband was badgering her to drop a domestic violence complaint against him poured a billy of boiling water over his head after he flung a cup of tea at her, a court has heard.
Bernadine Dixon, 39, an Anmatyerr woman raised at Ti Tree, pleaded guilty in Alice Springs Supreme Court to a charge of recklessly endangering serious harm.
Dixon’s offending occurred on the morning of January 20, 2023 at Ti Tree, Justice Judith Kelly told the court at Dixon’s sentencing hearing on May 16.
Dixon and her long-term partner, Morgan Abbott, were driving from Alice Springs back to Ti Tree the day prior, January 19, when Abbott began “badgering” his partner to drop the complaint against him for physically abusing her.
“He was angry and he yelled at you,” Justice Kelly told the defendant in court.
Dixon cupped her hand over Abbott’s mouth, to which he responded by “punching you in the chest”.
When the car stopped, Abbott grabbed Dixon by the throat and punched her in the face, and she slapped him back and told him not to hurt her.
The pair then began driving again, Dixon in control of the vehicle, but after the argument flared up again, Abbott flung himself from the vehicle.
She drove back to Ti Tree and Abbott’s brother went to collect him, Justice Kelly said.
The following morning, at a Ti Tree residence, the argument resumed, and Abbott threw a thong, then a cup of tea, at Dixon.
Abbott grabbed Dixon by the neck and blocked her exit, to which she responded by picking up a billy of hot water from the stove and pouring it over his head.
Abbott was left with blisters over his neck and shoulders and red skin on his scalp, although the burns were ultimately judged to be “confined and superficial”.
In a victim impact statement, Abbott blamed Dixon for the decline of their family, saying he wanted to grow old with her but that she was “breaking us”.
He accused her of being violent towards him, although Justice Kelly noted Dixon had no convictions for violence against Abbott, albeit that there was a domestic violence order in place protecting Abbott.
Justice Kelly said Dixon, who has two children with Abbott, had a stable upbringing, a lack of criminal history save for a handful of driving matters, had complied with all her bail conditions, and was actively looking for work.
Justice Kelly, who described Dixon’s offending as “excessive self-defence,” sentenced the woman to nine months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended on condition of Dixon being of good behaviour for 12 months.
“I do not expect to see you back before the court,” Justice Kelly said.
Abbott pleaded guilty on March 23 last year to charges of aggravated assault and contravening a domestic violence order and was sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour bond and a $150 fine.
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