Ballina: Joel John Nauta jailed for hitting pregnant girlfriend with shovel

A man has been jailed after a sickening coward attack in which he punched his pregnant girlfriend in the face, pulled her hair and hit her in the head with a shovel at a Northern Rivers campsite.

Joel John Nauta has been jailed after hitting his pregnant girlfriend with shovel at a Northern Rivers campsite. Picture: File/Generic.

A man has been jailed after a sickening coward attack in which he punched his pregnant girlfriend in the face, pulled her hair and hit her in the head with a shovel at a Northern Rivers campsite.

Joel John Nauta, 20, appeared in Ballina Local Court on Friday, facing multiple charges related to a domestic violence incident.

Nauta, dressed in prison greens, had been scheduled to contest charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, reckless wounding, intimidation, and breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO).

Instead at the last available moment, he pleaded guilty to reckless wounding, contravening an apprehended violence order, common assault, shoplifting, and possessing a prohibited drug.

Charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and stalking or intimidation with an intention to cause fear of physical harm were withdrawn and dismissed.

Ballina Courthouse. Picture: Liana Boss

The court heard Nauta and his then-pregnant partner, who was 16 weeks into the pregnancy, were living in a tent near Kingsford Smith Dr, Ballina, on January 10, 2024.

According to court documents, Nauta became angry and verbally abusive when his partner complained of stomach pains.

The victim, fearing for her safety, picked up an axe to defend herself but dropped it, worried that it would escalate Nauta’s violence, the court heard.

Nauta then chased her, pulling her hair, causing her to scream and cry.

He proceeded to punch her in the face before grabbing a metal shovel and swinging it at her head, knocking her unconscious.

The woman was found bleeding and “distressed” by another man, who called emergency services.

She was transported to Lismore Base Hospital, where she received treatment for a head wound requiring stitches.

Nauta’s defence lawyer, Josh Buckland, argued that his client was aged 19 at the time of the offending – now 20 – and expecting a child later this month.

Buckland emphasised the “significant time” Nauta had already spent in custody and argued his youth and the risk of institutionalisation warranted his release. He suggested that a longer period of supervision would be more appropriate.

Magistrate Annette Sinclair acknowledged the severity of the crime: “A lot of people have difficulties in their relationships, but they don’t hit their partners over the head with a shovel.”

Buckland submitted that the result of the strike was “only a three-centimetre laceration”.

“And a loss of consciousness,” Ms Sinclair fired back.

Ballina Police Station.

Buckland conceded the loss of consciousness was “momentary” and the victim “blacked out,” but emphasised she sustained no cranial brain injury.

The court heard Nauta had been receiving monthly injections while in custody to address a drug problem and would return to Peak Hill, near Dubbo, if released.

Ms Sinclair noted while Nauta had no prior convictions, his reaction to domestic difficulties was “quite concerning.”

“He is fortunate he has family support, and it’s not often young people have this support,” she said.

The court also heard Nauta was on bail when he was charged with shoplifting and drug possession.

Magistrate Sinclair determined that a term of imprisonment was “appropriate” given Nauta had crossed the domestic violence threshold.

However, she also took into account his youth, his first time in custody, and his need for supervision, saying his family support made reoffending less likely.

Nauta was convicted and sentenced to 15 months in jail, with a seven-month non-parole period, backdated to November 19 of last year.

He was further sentenced to an eight-month community corrections order, which will commence on his release.

Originally published as Ballina: Joel John Nauta jailed for hitting pregnant girlfriend with shovel