‘I thought my skull had broken’: Ex-partner of Tasmanian judge Greg Geason alleges serious assault

UPDATED: A former partner of Tasmanian judge Gregory Geason claims she flew backwards with “such force” when he allegedly assaulted her that she hit her head and “blacked out”.

Gregory Geason leaves the Hobart Magistrates Court. Picture: Chris Kidd

A former partner of Tasmanian judge Gregory Geason claims she flew backwards with “such force” when he allegedly assaulted her that she hit her head on a mantelpiece and “blacked out”.

The woman has accused Justice Geason of a slew of disturbing abuse allegations, including that he tracked her movements using technology, drunkenly and verbally berated her for hours on end in jealous rages, and pressured her into signing over the equity on her home.

The woman has accused Justice Geason of a slew of disturbing abuse allegations, including that he tracked her movements using technology, drunkenly and verbally berated her for hours on end in jealous rages, and pressured her into signing over the equity on her home.

Justice Geason has pleaded not guilty to common assault, and emotional abuse or intimidation dating back to 2023.

On Tuesday, day two of his contested hearing in the Hobart Magistrates Court, the woman – giving evidence from a remote witness room – said Justice Geason physically attacked her on October 31 last year, punching her in the chest and breasts before pushing her.

“I just remember flying backwards with such force, and hitting my head on the mantelpiece,” she told Magistrate Susan Wakeling.

“I remember hearing the loud crack and then I blacked out for a while.

“When I came to, I … had huge eggs on the back of my head from where my head had hit the mantelpiece.

“My head was screaming in pain. I thought I’d done serious damage, I thought my skull had broken, I was in that much pain. I could feel big lumps, like golf balls.”

The woman said Justice Geason said she was “so pissed”, or drunk, that she’d “tripped”.

But she said he’d flown into a rage after seeing a text message and a photograph from a male colleague on her phone.

Justice Gregory Geason leaving court on Monday. Picture: Linda Higginson.

The woman said she woke in bed the next day, “very, very sore all over my body”, covered in bruises, and with pain to the head.

“I said to Greg, ‘I cannot go to work like this. This is bad, this is really bad’. Greg said ‘oh you bruise really easily, just put a jacket on’,” she said.

“He pretended that the bruises weren’t there.”

Justice Geason, 63, has denied ever deliberately hitting the woman.

The woman, in continuing her evidence, said Justice Geason was jealous of people she was acquainted with, particularly if they were highly qualified, and had derogatory names for the people she knew, including “vinegar tits”.

Under cross-examination by Justice Geason’s barrister, Tom Percy KC, the woman said she had fallen in love with him quickly, and viewed their union as her “forever relationship”.

She denied she was a heavy drinker – no more than other professional women her age – and also denied she had medical conditions that caused her to bruise easily.

Mr Percy said when she visited a doctor, the doctor’s notes suggested she’d told them Justice Geason had “beaten” her on two other occasions – a claim he said she had “manufactured”.

The woman, who only alleges one incident of physical violence, said she couldn’t recall saying that to a doctor.

“When you spoke to the doctors, you were trying to make it look as bad for Greg as you possibly could,” Mr Percy said.

The woman replied she didn’t have mental capacity at that time to “manufacture anything”, as she was “heavily concussed and traumatised”.

The hearing continues.

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