Port Augusta man Karl Anton Hird jailed for shocking violence and threats against ex-partner

An SA fisherman has been jailed for threatening to kill his partner and her father during a terrifying assault in front of her young son.

A Port Augusta fisherman has been jailed after threatening to kill his girlfriend in front of her young son because if he “could not have her, then no one could”, a court has heard.

Karl Anton Hird, 35, appeared in the District Court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of threatening to kill or endanger life, and one count of aggravated assault.

Auxiliary Judge Gordon Barrett said the father-of-three also threatened to kill his partner’s dad – and placed the barrel of a fake gun on her neighbour’s forehead as she tried to retrieve the victim’s three-year-old son from inside the property during the attack in July, 2024.

“You were drinking whiskey and Coke and becoming verbally abusive towards your partner.

“She used her mobile phone to make three audio recordings which captured some of what was said. There are 24 pages of transcript of those recordings,” Judge Barrett said.

“At one point you pushed her back into her son’s bedroom and wrapped your arm around her neck. You pushed her head back and said that you were going to knock her out and hang her until she died.

The man was sentenced on Monday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe

“She was saying sorry to you. You then grabbed her face and told her that it was her fault for making you do that. You said that you did not want to hurt her, but if you could not have her then no one could.

“You then said that you were going to kill her, kill yourself, and you would all be found dead in one place.”

The court heard the victim left the house in fear – leaving her son inside – to get help from her neighbour’s sister, named as ‘Ms Lawrence’.

As she walked into the house, the court heard the man lifted a fake handgun and pressed it into her forehead – before lowering it and saying he was “sick of women telling (him) what to do”.

Defence counsel for the man told the court their client was “ashamed” of his offending.

“Some of what you said, particularly in front of the three-year-old child, is disgusting,” Judge Barrett said.

“Your former partner says that although you had never previously physically assaulted her, you had – over the preceding 12 months – become increasingly verbally abusive. She said that you had belittled her in public, and would say things to her that made her feel worthless.

“Ms Lawrence said she will never forget the fear that you put her in when you pointed the gun at her. She was particularly feeling for the three-year-old boy whom she had come to collect.”

Judge Barrett sentenced the man to four years and 11 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of two years.

Originally published as Port Augusta man Karl Anton Hird jailed for shocking violence and threats against ex-partner