Wild abuse and assault: Dalby’s shocking DV crimes and offenders revealed

A woman who punched her ex-boyfriend in the face and then claimed she only lashed out in self-defence was just one of the Dalby residents recently sentenced in court for domestic violence offending. FULL LIST HERE:

A woman who tried to punch her teenage niece in the face in an alcohol-fuelled assault was just one of the Dalby residents recently sentenced in court for domestic violence offending.

An intoxicated Samantha Maree Lautenbach was sitting in the back of a car with her niece on May 22 when an argument broke out between the pair, with the 32-year-old telling the young woman to, “Stop or I’ll bash you”.

Police prosecutor Derek Brady told Dalby Magistrates Court that Lautenbach then swung at the 18-year-old, with her punch landing about 6cm away from her face as there was someone sitting in between them.

He said Lautenbach initially denied the offending when questioned by police, saying her victim was lying.

Defence lawyer Claire Graham said her client accepted she had a problem with alcohol, but maintained she did not actually make contact with her niece’s face.

“She says (she and her victim) used to have a good relationship, but because they’re living together and (with) her being 18, it can be difficult,” Ms Graham said.

Lautenbach pleaded guilty to common assault in a domestic setting.

She was fined $500.

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A repeat offender who breached a domestic violence order just one day after narrowly dodging a stint behind bars for assaulting his ex-girlfriend has again faced court for targeting the same woman.

Dalby Magistrates Court was told the 35-year-old, who cannot be named, went to his ex-girlfriend’s mother’s home while his former partner was there and tried to convince her to leave with him.

The woman’s mother then tried to call police, but the man snatched the phone away from her.

Police prosecutor Derek Brady said the Chinchilla man then breached the same domestic violence order again on August 9, this time going to his victim’s home and sitting outside on his motorbike.

“She held a bike pump in the air and walked out, so he drove off,” Sergeant Brady said.

“Both instances involved contact breaches, there’s no allegations of violence.”

The court heard the man had been sentenced to six months’ jail with immediate release on parole for assaulting this same ex-girlfriend, and was under another suspended jail sentence at the time of the offending.

He had been in custody since his arrest in August.

Defence lawyer Julia Molloy said her client claimed he only stopped at his ex’s mother’s home because he thought the older woman was the only one home, and denied seeing or speaking to his ex-partner.

The man pleaded guilty to two counts of contravening a domestic violence order.

He was sentenced to one month’s jail with immediate eligibility for parole, which will be served concurrently with his existing sentence.

The operational period for his suspended sentence was also extended by one month.

image by istock

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A man who was holding his one-year-old child in his arms while verbally abusing his girlfriend has been warned he needs to change his ways for the sake of his young family.

Officers were called to a Dalby home on the evening of August 29 after the 24-year-old, who cannot be named, got into a heated argument with his partner after she asked her family to help them take rubbish to the dump.

Police prosecutor Derek Brady said the man yelled at the mother of his child that he could “do it himself”, and became enraged to the point the victim called the police and ran to hide at a neighbour’s house.

“He was highly agitated and holding his child. They asked him to hand the child over and he called her a ‘dumb s — t’ for calling the police,” he said.

The Dalby court was told the man was serving a suspended jail sentence at the time.

Defence lawyer Julia Molloy said the St George man was embarrassed for his behaviour.

“He says he’s remorseful to his child as well, and that displays insight that we don’t regularly see,” she said.

“Neither (parent) are coping very well with sleep deprivation.”

Magistrate Kerrie O’Callaghan acknowledged the man’s remorse for his actions, but warned he would need to change his behaviour to set a better example for his child.

“I’m sure you don’t want that type of environment for your child to grow up in,” she said.

The man pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order.

He was placed on six months’ probation and the operational period of his suspended sentence was extended by one month.

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A man who was busted hiding under his girlfriend’s house in breach of a domestic violence order has been sentenced in the Dalby court.

The 44-year-old, who cannot be named, was at his partner’s home on April 6 when a dispute broke out between the pair.

The court heard that the man was not allowed to have a blood alcohol concentration above 0.028 while in the company of his partner, but recorded a whopping reading of 0.166 when police found him hiding beneath his girlfriend’s home later that night.

Defence lawyer Julia Molloy said the man had served jail time for similar offending in the past, and claimed this latest entry was caused by significant stress and depression after losing his job.

“Since then, he’s attended Lives Lived Well, he gets counselling each week, and hasn’t drunk since the offending.”

The man pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order.

He was fined $650.

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No conviction recorded

A woman who lied to police after she struck her ex-boyfriend in the face and attempted to stop him from escaping with their toddler by blocking the door has been sentenced in court.

The Dalby court heard the 37-year-old, who cannot be named, followed the man around the house during a heated argument and repeatedly prevented him from leaving, with the conflict escalating to the point she punched him in the face.

Police prosecutor Derek Brady said the mother-of-five, who shared one child with the victim, claimed she had acted in self-defence.

“She said he headbutted her and began smashing her head, so she punched him in the face, but no injuries were consistent with that version,” Sergeant Brady said.

The man was left with a cut on his lip after the assault.

Defence lawyer Julia Molloy said her client claimed there was a misunderstanding during their conversation about the man taking their two-year-old child with him, which led to the violent argument.

“Police couldn’t see her injuries because she did her best to clean herself up prior to them coming,” she said.

The Dalby woman pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order.

She was placed on a good behaviour bond for three months.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Wild abuse and assault: Dalby’s shocking DV crimes and offenders revealed