Daina Woolnough-Curtin took hammer to Waverley confrontation

A Tasmanian woman involved in a spiralling dispute with her friend’s stoner boyfriend, who told her she should have aborted her daughter, took a hammer to exact revenge on him.

Waverley woman Daina Lin Woolnough-Curtin, 29. Picture: Facebook

A Launceston woman, chagrined at being told by her friend’s partner, with whom she had bad blood, that she should have “aborted” her daughter, took a hammer to his shed in an attempt to dob in his cannabis growing to police.

Waverley housekeeper Daina Lin Woolnough-Curtin, 29, pleaded guilty in Launceston Magistrates Court on Thursday to charges of trespass and injuring property.

Tasmania Police dropped an additional charge of common assault.

The offences occurred late in the evening of February 14 this year at the Waverley residence of her friend’s partner.

Woolnough-Curtin, armed with a hammer, demanded the man exit his shed so she could confront him.

When he declined, she smashed a glass panel with the hammer to unlock the door from the inside. She entered and “destroyed” a cannabis plant the man was growing.

The pair then “wrestled” for control of the hammer, before arguing further. Woolnough-Curtin fled the scene but was discovered on a nearby street by police officers just before midnight.

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The court was told that in her police interview, the defendant said she was aware the complainant was growing cannabis in the shed and wanted to take photographic evidence to show police, in the belief he would have disposed of the plant prior unless there was evidence.

She “admitted she had had a few drinks prior” to the offending and agreed with the proposition she should have left it to be dealt with by police.

The court heard Woolnough-Curtin had had previous involvement with the courts, in 2014 and 2017, both times charged with common assault. She was previously sentenced to 35 hours’ community service and probation.

Woolnough-Curtin also previously took an axe to a wooden gate during a dispute.

Defence lawyer Andrew Lonergan told the court there existed bad blood between his client and the complainant for several reasons.

Firstly, the man and Woolnough-Curtin’s friend had a “tumultuous relationship”, which caused friction between the defendant and the complainant. Secondly, on the day in question, the man told the defendant she should have “aborted” her five-year-old daughter.

Magistrate Sharon Cure agreed that was a significant “provocation”.

Ms Cure pondered tongue-in-cheek whether Woolnough-Curtin had in fact “destroyed” the cannabis plant.

“She might have prevented it from growing further, I doubt she destroyed it,” Ms Cure said.

She convicted Woolnough-Curtin, who had just obtained new employment as a housekeeper, fined her $500 and ordered she pay costs and levies of $91.40.