Toowoomba father beats stepson and partner while holding young daughter

A teenager trying to protect his mother was brutally beaten by his drunken, abusive stepdad while his younger siblings watched in horror.

A 38-year-old Toowoomba man pleaded guilty to multiple assault and domestic violence offences on Monday before Toowoomba Magistrates Court after attacking his stepson and mother of his children. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A man who beat his teenage stepson and partner while holding his young daughter has vowed to never drink again.

A 38-year-old Toowoomba region man pleaded guilty to multiple assault and domestic violence offences on Monday before Toowoomba Magistrates Court after attacking his stepson and mother of his children.

The court heard, in an agitated and in a heavily drunken state, the man accused his teen stepson of inappropriate behaviour which prompted the teenager to start filming their interaction.

The man leapt on the boy, repeatedly punching him in the head.

He then grabbed his young daughter and held her as he assaulted her mother over and over.

The woman described the man clawing at her chest in such a way it was “as if her breasts were being ripped off”, before kicking her multiple times.

Her teenage son tried to intervene but his stepfather turned back on him, punching both the boy and his mother continually while holding his youngest child.

Another young child witnessed the entire attack.

The man also threatened to kill the woman, doing so in front of all three children.

The woman suffered a bloody nose, cuts to her mouth and pain to her hand while her teenage son reported nausea and a soreness to his head.

The court heard the man had a history of domestic violence offending.

“The acts by the defendant can only really be summed up as disgusting, appalling and highly shameful behaviour,” Police prosecutor Rowan Brewster-Webb told the court.

“This should not happen to anyone, he has not only done this to the aggrieved … he has also done this to a child, while holding his own child and in front of all his children.

“There are obviously some sort of unresolved issues that he has and also, I would submit, issues with alcohol, but that does not in any way detract from the disgusting acts that he has done.

“These are serious examples of both a breach of domestic violence orders and assaults, all in a domestic violence setting, and frankly the community is tired of these acts occurring.”

Defence solicitor Paige Hetherington said the man had suffered a somewhat unstable childhood which had led him to abuse alcohol.

She added the man’s time in custody awaiting sentencing had allowed him to come to terms with his mental health and substance issues.

“He doesn’t really recall much of what occurred on the night due to how much (alcohol) he consumed,” she said.

“He has been able to benefit because it has given him the opportunity to dry out … it’s his first time ever really being able to sober up.

“He instructs me he never wants to drink again.

Ms Hetherington said, while it did not excuse his behaviour, the man was navigating severe stress at the time of the offending.

“He has, in conferencing, expressed some serious remorse towards the aggrieved and the child; he tells me this is not the type of person he wants to be and he wants to stay off alcohol because he hates the person he is when he is drinking,” she said.

Ms Hetherington stated her client desired to participate in rehabilitation programs for substance abuse and domestic violence offending when released from custody.

Magistrate Michelle Dooley condemned the man for his callous actions towards his family, in particular his stepson.

“Your stepchild is in a very sad position,” she said.

“He … clearly wishes to protect his mother as much as he can – that’s a horrible situation.

“You took out your rage against this child … you have a lot of apologising to do.”

Ms Dooley stressed the man would need to take advantage of any support offered to him in order to make amends.

“These are long term issues that are going to require a lot of work on your behalf,” she said.

“I am of the view that a long period of time on parole will give you the opportunity to attend to your issues.”

The man was ordered to serve 18 months imprisonment and granted immediate parole after spending 102 days in pre-sentence custody.