’I love her so much, I would never hurt her’: Judge Greg Geason denies fiance attack to police
UPDATED: Tasmanian judge Gregory Geason went online to search “how to get domestic violence charges dropped - a step-by-step guide” after allegedly attacking his fiance. Latest from court>
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UPDATE: Tasmanian judge Gregory Geason told police claims he’d attacked his partner were “nonsense” and that he was “flabbergasted” as “I think I’m a gentle, loving, caring, committed partner”.
Body-worn camera footage of a Tasmanian police officer, who served Justice Geason with a type of restraining order in November last year, was played before the Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday.
The footage was aired on day four of Justice Geason’s domestic abuse hearing, as part of agreed evidence between the parties tendered before interstate magistrate Susan Wakeling.
Justice Geason, 63, has pleaded not guilty to common assault, and emotional abuse or intimidation, dating back to 2023.
The video, recorded at Justice Geason’s Battery Point home after 11pm on November 2, shows the judge sitting at his dining table, telling police the claims from his now former partner “surprises me”.
“I don’t accept she’s at any risk. We’re engaged, I love her dearly,” he said.
“I love her so much, I would never hurt her, ever.
“I genuinely feel it’s an overreaction.
“The notion that she’s at any risk, and I say this with respect, is nonsense.
“I think I’m a gentle, loving, caring, committed partner.”
Before the police officer reads out the conditions of the Police Family Violence Order, restraining him from contacting, harassing, stalking or assaulting her, Justice Geason is recorded saying that he did not attack the woman, but instead held her arms while “pleading”.
He said the action came after one of the woman’s male friends, who he said texted her constantly, sent her a “selfie”.
Justice Geason told police the bruises on the woman’s arms occurred because “she bruises easily” and that “she did fall back and hit her head on a table” but “that had nothing to do with me”.
In other agreed facts tendered to the court, Justice Geason travelled to Canberra twice - after the family violence order was issued - with several photographs of the woman’s house taken by his phone.
He also went online to search terms including “how to get domestic violence charges dropped - a step-by-step guide”, “the 22 best songs to say sorry” and as recently as July this year, searched “can couples recover after domestic violence”, “one-off family violence” and “one mistake does not make a bad person”.
The agreed facts also included evidence that Justice Geason searched phone numbers of people the woman had been calling and took screenshots of her American Express expenses.
A phone call by the woman to Tasmania Police was also played to the court, with the woman reporting “domestic violence” and that she was “covered in bruises”, but was initially reluctant to tell the phone operator her partner’s name.
“Do I have I say? He’s kind of important here. He’s a Supreme Court judge. Will he be notified?” the woman can be heard telling the operator.
“I’ll give you his name but if anything comes back, I will be at risk. Please don’t let this come back on me, it’s Gregory Geason.”
Also on Thursday, forensic medicine specialist, Associate Professor Vanita Parekh,
said bruising suffered by the woman was “very likely” caused by an assault.
The woman’s mother also told the court she was “horrified” by what she saw after her daughter came to her for help.
“She said she was coming over because she’d been badly beaten up. By Greg,” the woman’s mother said.
“I was absolutely shocked. She was very dishevelled. She was shaking, she was crying. I don’t think she’d had a wash. She had vomit around her mouth.”
His barrister, Tom Percy KC, will begin the defence case on Friday.
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EARLIER: A forensic medicine specialist says bruising suffered by Justice Gregory Geason’s ex-partner was “very likely” caused by an assault.
Justice Geason, 63, has pleaded not guilty to a common assault he allegedly inflicted upon the woman on October 31 last year.
In the Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday, during the fourth day of Justice Geason’s contested hearing, Associate Professor Vanita Parekh said she had prepared a report about the woman’s bruising after she presented at the emergency department of an interstate hospital.
Dr Parekh said she made her assessment based on pictures from the hospital, photos from police, and photos taken by the woman herself.
“The number and location of bruises on her body were very likely to have been the result of an assault,” she said.
Under cross-examination from Justice Geason’s lawyer, Tom Percy KC, Dr Parekh said it was possible – looking at the bruises individually – that some of them could have been caused accidentally or as the result of a fall.
However, she said looking at the bruises “one by one” would be “misleading”, and that the whole pattern needed to be looked at.
Sinead Taylor, an emergency specialist at an interstate hospital, said she diagnosed the woman with concussion a few days after the alleged assault.
She said she arranged a CT scan as she was concerned about an intracranial bleed, and that the woman was admitted to hospital overnight.
The woman’s mother has also given evidence before Magistrate Susan Wakeling.
“She said she was coming over because she’d been badly beaten up. By Greg,” she said.
“I was absolutely shocked. She was very dishevelled. She was shaking, she was crying. I don’t think she’d had a wash. She had vomit around her mouth.
“She said ‘I don’t want to take my coat off because I’m covered in bruises’. I convinced her to take her coat off and I was horrified by what I saw.”
The hearing continues.
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