‘Horrific’ attack after 11 cans
A WEST Moonah man who strangled and bashed his partner when her child wouldn’t sleep, shoving his fingers down her throat to stop her screaming, will spend nine months under home detention for his “particularly horrific” crimes.
The 43-year-old, who left his partner bruised and injured with a broken tooth, pleaded guilty in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Wednesday to three counts of common assault, seven breaches of a family violence order, and eight breaches of his bail conditions.
Magistrate Chris Webster heard the man assaulted his partner on a number of occasions during 2020, while also unleashing a tirade of verbal abuse with terms like “maggot”, “slut” and “mutt”.
In May last year, the man kicked over a glass then held the woman’s neck for about three seconds before punching her face and lower back.
Then that night, he called the woman horrific slurs in front of her daughter, then punched her in the face while calling her names, apparently in a fury that the child still wasn’t sleeping.
A neighbour heard the commotion and called triple-0, while the man followed the woman to bed, holding her down and shoving his fingers down her throat to stop her screaming, all while unleashing more verbal abuse.
When police arrived, they saw the woman was injured with bruising and swelling to her face, lumps on her head, bruising on her back and hand – and noticed the man had injuries on his knuckles. He later admitted he’d bashed the woman after consuming 11 cans of Tooheys beer.
In November last year, he bashed her again telling her nobody loved her, grabbing her throat until she struck him with an empty wine bottle.
Defence lawyer Cameron Scott said the man was now receiving counselling, intended to complete an alcohol abuse program, and had penned a letter of apology to the woman.
Mr Webster noted the man had a history of assaults and had previously received a suspended jail term.
“These are particularly horrific family violence assaults,” he said.
He gave the man a suspended four-month jail term and nine months under home detention.