Rapist told to reflect on ‘how life might be different if he didn’t bash women’ before allegedly killed by girlfriend

An NT judge considered keeping a convicted rapist in prison to reflect on ‘how life might be different if he didn’t bash women’ but released him before he was allegedly killed by his girlfriend.

Convicted rapist Ethan Anzac who was allegedly stabbed to death by his partner Maria Jimmy. Picture: Facebook

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A Northern Territory judge considered keeping a rapist in prison to reflect on “how life might be different if he didn’t bash women” but ultimately decided to release him – less than two months before the man was allegedly stabbed to death by the girlfriend he had bashed.

Maria Jimmy, 31, has been charged with the murder of her partner, Ethan Anzac, who had a violent history of crimes against women and was once branded a “bully and a coward” by a judge when he was being sentenced for raping a different woman.

The Australian can reveal Mr Anzac was released from prison on January 18 for bashing Ms Jimmy over two days and had been given a dressing down by a Territory judge, during which he promised to follow the law, respect women and stay off the grog.

His death follows a string of murders in the Territory that were allegedly committed by men with violent criminal histories who could have still been in custody had they received lengthier sentences, prompting calls for the CLP government to strengthen domestic violence legislation, which the NT Attorney-General has vowed to do.

Police will allege Ms Jimmy, who has no prior criminal ­history, stabbed the 33-year-old twice in the back of his legs while in the presence of others in a suburb north of Darwin CBD on the evening of ­Friday, February 28, causing him to bleed to death.

Darwin Local Court Judge Greg Macdonald had considered letting Mr Anzac sit in prison for longer “to give him time to reflect and contemplate on how life might be different if he didn’t bash women”, after he pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated assault and three counts of breach domestic violence order.

Ultimately, he decided to release Mr Anzac – who Judge Macdonald said attended the same school as his own children – after he spent just under five months on remand.

“One might say that Mr Anzac having to sit (in prison) for another month will give him time to reflect and contemplate on how life might be different if he didn’t bash women,” Judge Macdonald said.

Ethan Anzac who was allegedly stabbed to death by his partner Maria Jimmy. Picture: Facebook

“I know from elders at Yarralin and other places that are similar like Lajamanu speaking to elders there, bashing women is not part of Aboriginal culture, it is against your law, its against Kardiya (non-Aboriginal) law, it’s against every law, it’s gutless, it’s cowardly, it’s yellow,” he said.

Judge Macdonald gave Mr Anzac strict orders not to buy, possess or consume alcohol, and he was banned from licenced premises for a year and a half, but police sources say he was likely intoxicated and in breach of a domestic violence order at the time of his death.

The court heard that Ms Jimmy had told police she had forgiven him following the assault.

“Make sure you treat her properly and with respect, please,” Judge Macdonald said to him.

It is understood there are no reliable witnesses in Mr Anzac’s alleged murder due to the amount of alcohol consumed by those nearby, and that he was in breach of a domestic violence order protecting Ms Jimmy at the time of his ­alleged murder, which restricted him from going near her while drunk or causing any harm to her.

It can also be revealed Mr Anzac also breached bail on July 1, 2024, after he was found to have “very high” blood alcohol reading of 0.243.

“I note … that you were feeling very sad on that day and that your brother-in-law and his partner brought that rum into your house and then you started drinking it,” NT judge Meredith Huntingford said in December. He was released after pleading guilty and sentenced to five days in prison, which was what he had served.

NT Police investigate a suspected domestic violence homicide on February 28. Picture: Zizi Averill

NT Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has said the government will strengthen domestic violence laws to “affect how sentences can be handed down”.

“Many of the changes we will be making, which includes strengthening domestic violence laws, will intersect with the Sentencing Act and will affect how sentences can be handed down under this act,” she said.

The NT government in October announced it would review the Sentencing Act following The Australian’s coverage of a string of murders in the Territory.

NT Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence Robyn Cahill said there were “significant gaps” in the Territory’s response to domestic violence after eight years under a Labor-led government.

“In the last eight years under Labor, domestic violence assaults increased 81-per-cent across the Territory,” Ms Cahill said.

She said the Territory government had committed an additional $36m in domestic violence funding that would be used to extend frontline services for a further year after funding was due to end in June 2025.

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