Gagebrook scissor assailants avoid jail for attacking women at home

Two men who carried out scissor attacks on their loved ones in separate domestic violence incidents have avoided jail time.

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TWO Hobart men who threw scissors at women in unrelated domestic violence attacks have avoided jail.

Daniel Craig Flemming, 24, threw a pair of scissors at his mother while she was making coffee in her Gagebrook kitchen during July last year.

On Monday, the Supreme Court of Tasmania heard the police arrived at their home about 6.45am to find the woman sitting in her driveway in a distressed state, with a 2cm puncture wound to her left arm.

She said her son had stabbed her and locked her outside.

Flemming, who initially denied what he’d done, confessed he’d attacked his mother after she “schized” at him when he turned off the television.

When the woman turned on the kettle, he picked up the scissors and threw them “pretty hard” – but wasn’t aiming for her and didn’t intend to strike her.

Flemming pleaded guilty to one count of wounding, and was given a four-month suspended sentence.

Justice Stephen Estcourt said Flemming had not attempted to justify his conduct and was now remorseful.

“I’m instructed that he’s devastated that he caused harm to his mother and that he’s apologised to her on many occasions,” he said.

Also on Monday, Damien Paul Lynch avoided jail after throwing scissors at his girlfriend and slashing open her forehead.

The attack also took place in Gagebrook, a few weeks later in August last year.

Lynch, 41, was arguing with the 29-year-old victim about her children being up late and watching television on a school night.

The woman was sitting on the couch when Lynch, about one or two metres away, grabbed a pair of scissors.

She said “give me the f...ing scissors” and turned her head slightly away, the court heard.

Lynch replied “f...ing have them” before flinging them towards her, lacerating her forehead, which started bleeding freely.

The woman, panicked, tried to find her phone to call an ambulance.

However, she left hospital before receiving any treatment.

Lynch returned to the woman’s house and slept on her couch before police arrived and arrested him that night.

Justice Estcourt said he accepted Lynch didn’t intend to harm the woman but acted recklessly and should have foreseen the likelihood of injury.

Lynch, who also pleaded guilty to one count of wounding, was sentenced to a nine-month wholly suspended prison sentence and a 12-month community correction order.

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