Exposed: Identities of shocking domestic violence offenders sentenced in SA courts
From a former SANFL player’s rampage of terror to arson attacks, these are some of the state’s domestic violence offenders sentenced for their horrific acts.
SA News
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Dozens of domestic abusers have been sentenced in South Australian courts for appalling acts of violence in the past year.
SA Police Senior Sergeant Sharon Walker-Roberts said domestic violence, by its nature, was disempowering and damaging to victims.
“Each DV incident/report is initially dealt with by front line responders according to the individual circumstances and the assessed risk to the victim,” she said.
“In all cases, police are required to take positive action to prevent an escalation of violence, to meet the safety needs of victims and children, and to hold an offender accountable for their actions.”
Snr-Sgt Walker-Roberts said officers responding to abusers could report, arrest them or refuse bail to try to stop their behaviour.
“The action police take should be in balance with the type and severity of offending,” she said.
However, she noted “some domestic violence-related behaviours do not meet the threshold of criminal offending and court action is not possible”.
Police can refer people to voluntary support services but only the courts can direct offenders to attend mandatory behaviour change programs, such as those run by the Correctional Services Department for about 200 men a year.
These are some of the horrific domestic violence cases to go through SA courts recently and the sentences the perpetrators received.
Aaron Sandelance
This father terrorised his ex-partner over several months, including when she was pregnant or her children were around.
Aaron Paul Sandelance, 40, was made eligible for parole for his terrifying domestic violence rampage.
During sentencing, the District Court heard Sandelance and the victim had been in a relationship for three years before he moved in with her.
The court heard the victim was pregnant with their second daughter in September 2021 when he pushed her to the side of the face, leaving her dazed.
In November 2021, Sandelance was in the bedroom with the victim and their two daughters when they had a verbal argument.
“You reached under your pillow and produced a small silver cigarette lighter that resembled a handgun and pointed it at the victim’s face,” Judge Anthony Allen said.
“You stated that if she did not “shut the f*** up” you would shoot her.”
The court heard Sandelance and the victim had an “explosive argument” in January 2022.
Sandelance was holding their daughter when he followed the victim into the bathroom and started punching her to the head.
He then went into the loungeroom where their other daughter was before he picked up a plastic children’s table and began hitting the victim over the head with it.
Sandelance then tackled the victim to the ground, causing her to hit her head on the floor tiles.
“You pinned her to the ground and made various threats. You told her she ‘deserved this’,” Judge Allen said.
Sandelance pleaded guilty to multiple counts of aggravated assault.
Judge Allen sentenced him to two years and nine months jail, with a non-parole period of one year and 11 months.
The sentence was backdated to July 25, 2022, meaning Sandelance is eligible to apply for parole.
Tony Pietrantonio
A thug left his wife feeling like she was in a never-ending nightmare after he assaulted and stalked her over several months.
Tony Edward David Pietrantonio, 40, was jailed after a judge denounced him for showing no insight into his offending and telling his supporters they needed to “wake up”.
During sentencing, the District Court heard Pietrantonio met his wife in 2001 before marrying in 2009 and having two children together.
The victim moved out but came back just before Christmas in December 2021 as she was hopeful Pietrantonio had changed his ways.
In April 2022 they had an argument and the victim packed her bag to leave.
“You stepped in front of her, grabbed her forehead and slammed it into the wall,” Judge Liesl Kudelka said.
The court heard Pietrantonio then began stalking the victim, including following her home and tracking her location.
On another occasion, the victim was sitting in her car when Pietrantonio arrived and verbally abused her, telling her he was “never going to leave her alone”.
The court heard Pietrantonio then reached through the partially open car window and grabbed the victim by the hair before spitting on her.
The victim drove to the Salisbury police station, followed by Pietrantonio, where she reported him.
The court heard the victim located a tracking device under her car in July 2022, before Pietrantonio hurled threatening words at her in another incident in October 2022.
Pietrantonio, of Wattle Park, pleaded guilty to assault and stalking.
After taking into account the time Pietrantonio had spent in custody, he was sentenced to one year and four months jail, with a non-parole period of four months.
Matthew Hulls
One man repeatedly threatened, imprisoned and bashed two domestic partners, in succession over five years, using weapons including knives, hammers and a chemical-filled syringe, a court has heard.
Matthew Wesley Hulls pleaded guilty in the District Court to 18 domestic violence offences and, as part of a plea bargain deal, prosecutors withdrew a further nine charges.
Previously, prosecutors alleged Hulls subjected his then-partner to “horrific” and “very serious” domestic violence between September 2021 and May 2022.
Those acts, they alleged, included:
Attempting to catch the woman “cheating” on him by installing CCTV cameras throughout the house.
Choking her up against a wall while shaking her “like a ragdoll” and strangling her into unconsciousness.
Handcuffing her to the bed, threatening to kill her, and making her “beg for her life”, wielding an axe at her, then trapping her in a large birdcage.
Threatening to inject her with a syringe full of chemicals, saying “if kicking it out of you doesn’t get you to tell the truth, let’s see what injecting you with this does”.
Attempting to waterboard her in the garage, threatening to smash her fingers with a hammer, stabbing her with a knife and biting her fingers.
Hulls pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault causing harm with intent, and two counts of aggravated assault causing harm.
He also pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated threatening to cause harm, and two counts of false imprisonment.
Hulls further pleaded guilty to five counts of choking, suffocating or strangling a person in a domestic setting.
Those offences were committed in the northern suburbs between September 2017 and May 2022.
The court heard Hulls had two victims, both women with whom he was or had been in relationships at the time of his crimes.
Hulls, by his pleas, admitted using a knife against his first victim, and a syringe and hammer against the second.
Judge Anthony Allen remanded Hulls in custody to face sentencing submissions and victim impact statements in May.
Bradley Brook
A scorned man was jailed after he set fire to his ex-partner’s home with her trapped inside, causing her to flee for her life.
Bradley John Brook’s cruel act of domestic violence left his former partner feeling betrayed and grief-stricken over losing her home of 26 years.
During sentencing, the District Court heard Brook, 50, and the victim had been in a relationship for seven years and were living together at her Parafield Gardens house.
The victim returned home on January 28, last year after working the night shift and told Brook the relationship was over and he needed to leave.
The court heard the victim then saw an agitated Brook with a jerry can and lighter before the dining room floor ignited into flames.
“She ran to the front door which was locked,” Judge Joanne Tracey said.
“She was screaming as the smoke and the heat of the flames travelled to the lounge room.”
The court heard the victim unlocked the door and ran away, while hearing Brook yelling “I gave up everything for you”.
“She dropped to the ground and you threw the lighter at her,” Judge Tracey said.
Brook pleaded guilty to arson.
Judge Tracey sentenced Brook to five years and 11 months jail, with a non-parole period of three years and four months.
The sentence was backdated to January 28.
Peter Hamilton
A northern suburbs father who torched his ex-wife and four children’s entire belongings and home has been jailed for his destructive act of domestic violence.
Peter David Hamilton, of Elizabeth Vale, had descended into an “absolute rage” on January 10, 2024, after finding out his then-wife and four children would not be returning to the family home for a week.
The 39-year-old’s ex received a number of messages from Hamilton, telling her she was “playing games again”.
“I’m done, there’s nothing here for you … play silly games, win stupid prizes,” Hamilton’s messages read.
After drinking half a bottle of whiskey with Coke, Hamilton collected the family’s possessions in a 1.5m pile in the living room, including toys, nappies, furniture, a lawnmower, clothing and tools.
He then poured petrol over the heap and set it alight.
During sentencing after Hamilton’s guilty plea to one count of arson, Judge Nicolas Alexandrides said the fire, smoke and extinguishing water destroyed all the family’s personal belongings, leaving Hamilton’s children and wife with nothing.
Hamilton was jailed for three years and six months – reduced from four years and eight months by his 25 per cent guilty plea discount – with a two year non-parole period.
Mathew Vidic
A former SANFL star who held a petrol can over his wife’s head and threatened to burn her alive will spend at least two years behind bars.
District Court Judge Rauf Soulio jailed Mathew Vidic, 42, for his vile domestic abuse of his wife and mother of his children.
Vidic pleaded guilty to one count each of threatening to harm and threatening to kill after his wife recorded him as he repeatedly told her he would burn her alive in their Mitcham home.
In her victim impact statement, Vidic’s ex-wife, Julia Hodge – a teacher, mother and champion marathon runner – said those incidents were just parts of a “pattern” of abuse.
She said they were preceded by Vidic threatening to kill the family dog with a knife, and by him stealing her passport to prevent her competing overseas.
The crimes were followed, she said, by him repeatedly calling her from prison after his arrest.
In June 2023, while his children were at a friend’s home, Vidic’s ex-wife, Julia Hodge pretended to be asleep as Vidic emerged in the bedroom holding a jerry can full of fuel and flicking a lighter in his hand.
The court heard Vidic threatened to set Ms Hodge on fire before she was able to seek help from the neighbours who called emergency services.
Judge Soulio jailed Vidic for four years and four months, with a non parole period of two years and two months.
That sentence was backdated to June last year, meaning Vidic will be eligible for parole in August 2025.
Dragan Losic
A man who gave evidence at the inquest into Dianne Brimble’s 2002 cruise ship death has learnt his fate for violently assaulting his wife in front of their young son.
However, Dragan Losic, 63, walked free from court after a judge determined he was a low risk of reoffending.
During sentencing, the District Court heard the victim was Losic’s now ex-wife, who he shared two children with.
The court heard during an argument in 2019 Losic punched the victim to the forehead.
In January 2022 the woman was in bed with their four-year-old son and Losic became angry about a message he had seen on her mobile phone.
“You physically pulled her out of the bed and onto the ground,” Judge Carmen Matteo said.
The argument continued into the loungeroom and Losic pushed her out of the house, causing her to fall again.
The court heard Losic also pulled the victim out of the bed by her hair on another occasion, causing her to fall to the ground.
Losic pleaded guilty to multiple counts of aggravated assault
Judge Matteo recorded convictions but due to Losic’s low risk of reoffending and time spent in custody and on home detention bail, she imposed no further penalty.
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Originally published as Exposed: Identities of shocking domestic violence offenders sentenced in SA courts
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