Kirk Mackay: Launceston predator guilty of striking woman in face

A Tasmanian man who preyed on young girls online, blackmailing them into sending revealing pictures, also struck his partner in the face twice during unrelated episodes, a court has heard.

A Tasmanian man serving a minimum of one year and nine months for blackmailing young girls on social media into sending him child exploitation material also struck his partner in the face twice during unrelated episodes, a court has heard.

Newnham man Kirk Russell MacKay, 27, was sentenced to two years and nine months in the Launceston Supreme Court in August after pleading guilty to two counts of involving a child in making child exploitation material and one charge of possessing child exploitation material.

His offending on that occasion involved two girls aged 11–12. He made them send him dozens of images in total, including one photo of his name written in black marker directly above the girl’s bare pubic area.

He was required to serve a minimum of one year and nine months.

In Launceston Magistrates Court on Friday, MacKay was sentenced for an unrelated offence of common assault, which he pleaded guilty to.

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The court heard MacKay was drinking with his partner in the caravan they resided in at Rocherlea on the afternoon of February 25 this year when the defendant became “agitated” about his partner’s brother, whom he wanted to “fight”.

MacKay exited the caravan and began “throwing things around the yard” before he struck his partner to the mouth with his open hand, splitting her lip.

He was charged and bailed on March 23, the court heard.

Newnham predator Kirk Russell MacKay, 27, pictured in circa 2016. Picture: Facebook

The common assault was committed in breach of a four-month suspended sentence imposed in August last year for a variety of driving offences, but also another, unrelated attack on his partner.

That assault was committed in November, 2020 – about the same time he was preying on young girls online – and involved “almost identical offending,” Magistrate Sharon Cure said.

MacKay again struck his partner in the mouth with an open hand, while also punching her to the side of the face as he tried to retrieve her mobile phone.

Defence lawyer Hannah Goss told the court her client had been engaging well with a community corrections order prior to his incarceration.

She said MacKay’s partner, who was present in court, remained supportive of him.

Ms Cure activated the suspended sentence but ordered it be served concurrently, and imposed an additional three-month sentence, wholly suspended for three years to act as a deterrent to further abuse of his partner.

MacKay will be eligible for parole in April, 2024.