Rockhampton father Joseph McInerney jailed for assault

A Rockhampton father has been jailed after he broke into two houses and assaulted his former partner while on parole and a suspended sentence.

Joseph Francis Michael McInerney, 30, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on April 11 to one count each of common assault, enter dwelling with intent by break at night, wilful damage and enter dwelling with intent by break.

A Rockhampton father has been jailed after he broke into two houses and assaulted his former partner while on parole and a suspended sentence.

Joseph Francis Michael McInerney, 30, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton District Court on April 11 to one count each of common assault, enter dwelling with intent by break at night, wilful damage and enter dwelling with intent by break.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke said McInerney broke into his ex-partner’s mother’s house in North Rockhampton on July 2, 2022 at 5.30am.

McInerney kicked in the front door and demanded to know where his ex-partner was and a woman at the home told McInerney she did not know and he left the house.

The court heard that two weeks later McInerney had found out where his ex-partner was living and that he went to her house in North Rockhampton on July 16, 2022 at 11.30pm.

Ms O’Rourke said the ex-partner saw McInerney waiting as she came home and that he cornered her and taunted her to call the police.

The court heard McInerney also threatened to pick her up and dump her on her neck.

Ms O’Rourke told the court the ex-partner picked up a stick to defend herself and McInerney grabbed her and wrapped his arms around her, squeezing tightly.

She managed to squirm away and hit McInerney with the stick and fled inside her home.

Ms O’Rourke said McInerney broke into his ex-partner’s house by pulling the glass sliding door off its tracks and kicking in the screen door.

Once inside the house, she said McInerney threw a coffee mug at the television in the living room, shattering the screen.

Neighbours had called police and McInerney left the house and wasn’t arrested until August 2, 2022.

Ms O’Rourke told the court McInerney was on parole and a suspended sentence at the time he committed the offences.

The court heard McInerney was sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on February 4, 2022 to 15 months’ prison with parole release on May 9, 2022 for a number of charges, including an assault occasioning bodily harm where he had punched his ex-partner in the head.

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said her client had spent quite a bit of his adult life in and out of custody and alcohol was involved in the offending before the court.

“He says he knows he shouldn’t drink and that he only drinks quite rarely and on those rare occasions that’s when these sorts of things happen,” Ms Shaw told the court.

“He would like to express through me that he is sorry for what he has done again on this occasion and for bringing this sort of violence into her home.”

She said her client planned to contact the Helem Yumba CQ Healing Centre upon his release from custody and do courses on domestic violence, as well as alcohol use.

“He says he needs professional help,” she said.

“He still has hopes he can one day be a father to his children.”

Judge Vicki Loury KC told McInerney his relationship with his ex-partner was over.

“It has been over for a very long time,” she said.

“If you had any respect for her at all and the choices she made, you would leave her alone and you would do the right thing.

“You must change the way you are living life.”

McInerney was sentenced to two years’ prison, with parole eligibility on September 10, 2023 and seven days of pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.

Judge Loury KC also activated McInerney’s three-month suspended sentence and ordered it be served concurrently with the head sentence.

Originally published as Rockhampton father Joseph McInerney jailed for assault