‘Find out who I really am’: Man jailed for violent backpackers’ hostel attack

A man who unleashed a torrent of violence upon his injured girlfriend in a Hobart backpackers’ hostel has learnt his fate. Find out how he was punished.

Tasmanian man Troy Reynolds will spend at least two years in jail for viciously assaulting his now-former girlfriend at a backpackers' hostel. Picture: Facebook

A MAN who unleashed a torrent of violence upon his injured girlfriend in a Hobart backpackers’ hostel will spend at least two years in jail for his crimes.

Troy Francis Reynolds was found guilty by a jury of four counts of assault against his former partner, who was in a leg brace at the time, during August 2020.

On Thursday, Supreme Court judge Gregory Geason said the woman had gone to use a toilet near the stairs when Reynolds grabbed her by the throat.

“She begged you not to push her down the stairs,” Justice Geason said while sentencing.

He said Reynolds gestured as if he would.

He committed another assault after his girlfriend had been talking to other people, grabbing her hair, pushing her towards their room and calling her a slut.

“Not surprisingly, she started leaving and packed her things,” Justice Geason said.

But Reynolds punched her to the face so hard that she collapsed to the ground.

When she woke at lunchtime the next day, Reynolds told her she’d made him angry, to justify what he’d done, Justice Geason said.

The woman made calls for her father to rescue her, but Reynolds kicked her in the back, pushed her onto the bunk beds and punched her in the head.

Later, Reynolds saw texts from the woman’s mother on her phone and told her: “you’re about to find out who I really am”.

He grabbed her by the throat, told her “not to mess” with him, and threw away her phone.

The woman said she was able to breathe while being throttled, but was unable to speak.

Justice Geason said Reynolds’ pleas of not guilty showed his lack of remorse, and that he needed to do “significant work” to overcome his anger issues.

“In my opinion, your behaviour is a very serious example of a person exerting control over their partner,” he said.

“The complainant suffered considerably as a result of your conduct.

“I consider a term of imprisonment to be the only adequate response to your behaviour.”

Reynolds was jailed for two years and nine months, with a non-parole period of two years.

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