Serial Central Qld DV offender back in court again

With 38 domestic violence order breaches to his name in the past year already, a Central Qld man landed back in court where he was told “the time for probation has well and truly passed”.

A serial domestic violence offender was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court on July 2. Generic image.

A Central Queensland man who racked up 38 domestic violence order breaches in the past year, has found himself back in court after offending again.

The man in his 30s, who by law cannot be named, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order (aggravated offence).

The court heard his latest offending happened on June 3 at Gladstone when he went to the victim’s residence when he was not allowed to be within 50m of her at any time.

It was told on that morning, a witness called police to report the man was with the woman.

Police then called the woman, and she told them she had not seen, nor spoken to the man.

But police went to her home anyway.

When they arrived, the woman said the man was not there and she allowed police to do a search.

They found the man hiding in a bedroom closet.

While making sentencing submissions, police prosecutor Kelvin Boyd referred to the man’s poor record of similar offending.

“Your Honour will note from the defendant’s history that there are 38 contraventions within the last 12 months,” Mr Boyd said.

“He is currently on a suspended sentence for breaching domestic violence orders.”

Mr Boyd said the man’s latest offending, while not the most serious example of a breach, was a “continuous and contemptuous disregard for the court orders.”

He asked for a head sentence of eight months’ jail and the activation of the suspended sentence to be served cumulatively.

“That will give an overall head sentence of 12 months and a parole eligibility date as at September 2 (2025) – which is roughly around the one-third mark, having consideration to the time served in pre-sentence custody,” Mr Boyd said.

Solicitor Cam Schroder said his client had made “full admissions to police” when apprehended, which saved them a lot of time and effort.

“(He) needs to do the 16-week course – the men’s behavioural change program,” Mr Schroder said.

“That (program) is having a lot of success with domestic violence offenders and often midway through that course, they realise they’ve got to change their behaviours.”

In terms of penalty, Mr Schroder submitted for 18 months’ probation with the condition the man attend the 16-week course and perform 240 hours unpaid community service.

During sentencing, Magistrate Edwina Rowan said the man’s history “can only be described as an appalling history of breaching domestic violence orders.”

“It is of such severity that in 2017, the court sentenced you to terms of imprisonment and thereafter, there have been various sentences which have been imposed on you, including being given the opportunity at probation,” Ms Rowan said.

The Magistrate noted that in August, 2024, the man was placed on 12 months’ probation for breaching a domestic violence order (aggravated offence) and less than a month later, he was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for further contravening a DV order.

“The time for probation has well and truly passed,” Ms Rowan said.

In line with the prosecution’s submission, Ms Rowan sentenced the man to eight months’ jail, and she activated the suspended sentence to be served cumulatively.

Ms Rowan declared 29 days’ pre-sentence custody as time already served and parole eligibility was set at September 2, 2025.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Serial Central Qld DV offender back in court again