Bradley Lawrence Mykael Gee sentenced to five years in prison for persistent family violence

A man has been sentenced for persistent family violence against his partner, including an incident where he forced her into a dog cage and turned a hose onto her and her young son.

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A SERIAL domestic violence offender who forced his partner into a dog cage before turning a hose onto her will spend at least three years behind bars.

In the Supreme Court in Burnie before Justice Robert Pearce, Bradley Lawrence Mykael Gee, 30, was found guilty by a jury of persistent family violence.

On Wednesday, the court heard between May 1, 2018 and June 7, 2019, Gee committed offences involving violence on eight occasions against his then partner, six constituting assault and two being wounding.

Gee moved into the woman’s Wynyard home and assumed a role as a father figure for her young son before the violence started.

The court heard the first time he struck her was when they were moving house from Wynyard to Wilmot and he struck the side of her face with the back of his hand in the car.

On another occasion, the couple were out wallaby shooting when they argued and Gee struck the top of her head with the butt of a torch, which caused a “significant laceration” that bled for about an hour.

The court heard of another assault where after an argument, Gee had a hunting knife and told the woman to get into a dog cage at their property

After the woman got in, Gee threatened to burn the car with her son inside.

The court heard she forced her way out, grabbed her child and returned with him inside the cage, before Gee turned the garden hose on them both.

He did not let them out until sometime later, after he had calmed down.

On another occasion Gee butted a cigarette out on the woman’s chest, the court heard.

Gee had a record for breaching family violence orders stretching back more than a decade.

“The offences themselves are overlaid with ongoing emotional abuse, controlling conduct and intimidation,” Justice Pearce said.

“You abused the trust inherent in domestic relationships. Some of the attacks involved especially cruel, demeaning and humiliating conduct. The dog pen incident is a good example. Reasonable members of society would be appalled by such acts.”

Gee was convicted and sentenced to five years imprisonment, backdated to February 28, 2020. He will not be eligible for parole until serving at least three years.

If you or someone you know is suffering from domestic violence, call 1800 RESPECT.