Katherine court registrar Mark Broadbent grabs woman at Cavenagh Hotel

A domestic violence co-ordinator with a ‘knight in shining armour syndrome’ assaulted a woman at a popular Top End pub.

A DOMESTIC violence co-ordinator with a “knight in shining armour syndrome” grabbed a woman by her neck at a Darwin pub.

Mark Rodney Broadbent, 60, appeared in Darwin Local Court this month to plead guilty to an aggravated assault at the Cav Hotel.

The court heard the Katherine Court registrar and corrections officer knew his victim, who was allegedly clashing with members of his family.

The 45-year-old woman was at the Cavenagh St hotel with her friend on Saturday, January 2 2021 when she saw Broadbent and approached him.

The court heard Broadbent claimed the woman told him “Merry Christmas you pig” before walking off to talk to friends.

Broadbent approached the woman a short time later.

While her back was turned the 60-year-old grabbed her, putting his arm around her neck with his hand on her upper chest.

“Stay the f--k away from me and my family,” Broadbent told her before being pulled off her.

As he was escorted out of the hotel, Broadbent yelled back “And don’t f--king call me again”.

A police report said the 45-year-old was left fearing for her life after the attack.

Days later she went to Royal Darwin Hospital for an assessment of the ongoing neck pain.

Prosecutors told the court Broadbent had a “knight in shining armour syndrome”, claiming to have attacked the 45-year-old over a slight to his family.

The Cav Hotel in Darwin where the incident occurred.

His lawyer told the court Broadbent would face a disciplinary hearing at work as a Territory Corrections worker and co-ordinator of the Family Violence program.

“This is crucial, difficult, stressful work that can only be successfully completed by people of a certain disposition,” his lawyer said.

“You have to be patient, you have to have a degree of tolerance.

“He’s had to fess up to friends, his partner but also to his work.

“But as a result of these charges, effectively he’s been put on lighter duties at this time.

“This behaviour is so completely, not just out of character, but at odds with the morals and ethos and standards he holds himself to.”

Broadbent sat at the back of the courtroom gallery comforted by his partner, who dabbed away tears as Judge Ben O’Loughlin considered his verdict.

Mr O’Loughlin told the 60-year-old he should have known the “terrible nature of male on female violence”.

“He’s involved in those programs and knows all too well the frequency of the crime,” Mr O’Loughlin said.

“And now he has a finding of guilt himself.”

The Darwin Local Court judge told Broadbent’s victim, who was also in the courtroom, that he had never met her abuser.

“To be clear, I had no idea the defendant was a registrar of the Katherine courts,” Mr O’Loughlin said.

“I have never crossed paths with him.”

On Wednesday June 8, Broadbent was fined $1100 plus a $150 victims levy.

No conviction was recorded.