Serial domestic abuser Raymond Griffiths pleads guilty to DV crimes

A judge has thrown the book at a concreter with a vile history of abusing women, including most recently holding a gun to his partner’s head multiple times during an argument at a public park.

A Gympie labourer who pointed a pen gun at his partner’s head before firing at her car has had the book thrown at him by a judge who rejected a proposed sentence as “inadequate” and gave him a heftier one instead.

Raymond Griffiths, 31, faced the Gympie District Court Wednesday on multiple domestic violence charges including numerous order breaches and the violent attack on the woman in mid 2023

The court heard Griffiths confronted the woman when he found her in her car near a Gympie park, not far from a school on July 19, 2023.

She had gone there to try to hide from him.

Griffiths walked up and accused her of sleeping with another person, the court heard.

The woman then got out of her car, at which point he pulled a 20cm long silver pen gun from his pocket and pointed it at her.

The court heard she knew the weapon could be fired as he had done so in her presence before.

She pulled a pocket knife out of her pocket in an attempt at self defence, but simply left it hanging by her side.

The court heard Griffiths was “mocking” her over it.

Raymond Griffiths, 31 of Gympie, leaves the city's District Court after pleading guilty to a string of domestic violence charges on July 10, 2024.

During the argument Griffiths pointed the weapon at her head three times and pushed her twice against the car, before returning to his own vehicle to phone one of his family members at the woman’s request.

He kept the weapon pointed out the window while on the phone, before driving nearby and firing the weapon into the bottom of her car’s left back passenger side door.

Griffiths left shortly after, and the woman reported the incident to police.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren said Griffiths did not just try to “downplay” what happened when interviewed by police.

“He lied,” she said.

Griffiths defence lawyer said the 31-year-old had grown up amid domestic violence, struggling at school due to dyslexia and leaving in Year 10.

He was in the “grips of a significant drug problem” at the time of the offending and now appreciated “how stupid he was”.

The court heard Griffiths’ criminal history was littered with domestic violence offences, including attacks on former partners.

His latest crimes, to which he pleaded guilty, included possessing a weapon, discharging a weapon, common assault, wilful damage, and 11 breaches of domestic violence orders in aggravated circumstances.

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Raymond Griffiths pleaded guilty at the Gympie District Court to possessing a weapon, discharging a weapon, common assault, wilful damage, and 11 breaches of domestic violence orders in aggravate circumstances.

The prosecution’s submission for a two-year jail term met with resistance from Judge Rosengren, who pointed out the maximum term possible for possessing the weapon was seven years.

“This sounds too low to me … and he’s on parole,” she said.

“He’s got a gun, and he’s pointed it at (her) head.

“This is really serious offending,” Judge Rosengren said adding he had breached DV orders “time and time again”.

“His treatment of women he’s in a relationship with is nothing short of appalling.”

Judge Rosengren adjourned her sentencing overnight, and on Thursday she jailed him for three years instead.

She strongly criticised the false claims he made to police in his interview, including that his victim jumped out of her car to confront him and the gun did not have any ammunition.

“This is a serious example of violence against anyone,” Judge Rosengren said.

“This must have been short of absolutely terrifying for her.”

Judge Rosengren declared 177 days already served, and declared he would be eligible for parole on July 14, 2025.

Originally published as Serial domestic abuser Raymond Griffiths pleads guilty to DV crimes