‘You need a bullet to the head’: Abusive partner jailed for violent attack

A MAN savagely beat the mother of his child and kicked her friend unconscious when she tried to stop him in a horrific attack that played out near children.

Benjaimin Thurley, 40, was sentenced to six-and-a-halfyears jail on Wednesday after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm for a sickening attack on his then de facto partner, and two other females in November 2017.

One victim quietly said “yes” as Judge Bernard Porter QC read out the jail term.

The Southport District Court heard Thurley – who had come home angry on November 19 – argued with his ex-partner, who had been drinking with a friend as the children swam in the pool.

He told her “you need a bullet to the head” – one of three death threats that night.

Later, after an argument over the electricity going out, Thurley punched his partner to the side of the face.

The court heard he slammed her into the ground and kicked her to the face.

The two other females stepped in to try and stop Thurley but they were attacked.

One friend was slammed to the ground by her neck and kicked to the stomach and face, knocking her unconscious.

At one point he grabbed a 20cm bladed knife from the kitchen and told his ex-partner “this ends now”.

“(The victim) understandably thought you were going to kill her,” Judge Porter told the court.

“This extreme violence seems to have arisen from your anger which you brought with you into the house that afternoon.

“There’s nothing which explains, much less justifies the violence which followed.”

The court heard of the ongoing fear by the man’s expartner and her children.

Thurley, who the court heard had made significant efforts had rehabilitation, apologised to his victims through his barrister. He will be eligible for parole on April 12, 2022.