Bradley Joseph Grace’s violent screen saver spat leads to assault conviction

A Northern NSW miner has been convicted of assault after erupting in violence when he was confronted about switching his phone screensaver from a picture of his then girlfriend to a dog.

A North Coast miner who changed his phone screen saver from a picture of his then girlfriend to a dog, escalated into violence that landed him in court to face assault charges.

A Northern New South Wales miner has been convicted of assault after erupting in violence when he was confronted about switching his phone screensaver from a picture of his then girlfriend to a dog.

Bradley Joseph Grace, 33, appeared in Ballina Local Court on Thursday, pleading guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and one count of stalking and intimidation.

The court heard the incidents occurred during a tumultuous period in Grace’s relationship with his then girlfriend.

Defence counsel Jack Mulherin, acknowledged family stresses related to Grace’s gambling and alcohol consumption contributed to the offending.

On June 24, 2023, an argument erupted between the couple, resulting in Grace grabbing his girlfriend and throwing her against a wall.

A miner has been convicted of assault after throwing his former girlfriend into a wall.

The court was told that after she reacted by face palming him, Grace pushed her to the ground, causing a swollen ankle.

Another incident occurred on April 27 last year when the woman accused Grace of infidelity after seeing something on his phone.

A spat over a screensaver escalated into violence after a woman accused her former boyfriend of cheating.

Mr Mulherin said the catalyst for the argument was Grace changing his phone screen saver from a photo of her to a picture of a dog, leading to accusations he was seeing someone else.

During the ensuing argument, Grace wrestled with the woman for her phone, causing bruising to her shoulder and thumb.

The argument continued, with the woman eventually punching a mirror.

A North Coast Magistrate criticized a man’s “victim blaming” after convicting him for assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Mr Mulherin stated Grace was remorseful and acknowledged the impact of his actions.

He added that Grace had since addressed his gambling issues, moved away from the area, and started a new relationship.

He was also managing his diagnosed attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder after initial medication affected his liver.

Mr Mulherin requested the court consider a Community Correction Order (CCO) to allow Grace to continue his career as a trainee driller.

Ms Sinclair acknowledged the seriousness of the assaults, noting the victim sustained injuries requiring time off work and that the offences occurred in front of a minor.

She also criticised Grace’s “victim blaming” attitude.

“The offences took place in front of a minor,” Ms Sinclair said.

The Magistrate acknowledged alcohol and gambling were causing problems, yet Grace’s response was a “violent one”.

Ms Sinclair said that a CCO was “untenable” given his employment.

“One cannot excuse this type of behaviour and you can’t buy yourself out of it,” she said.

Grace was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month Community Correction Order and fined $1200.

Originally published as Bradley Joseph Grace’s violent screen saver spat leads to assault conviction