Jailed for secateurs attack
A MAN who attacked his girlfriend with a pair of secateurs because she didn’t leave him any cigarettes has been jailed.
Aaron Jade Saylor was convicted of unlawful wounding after a trial in Townsville District Court.
Saylor was found to have either thrown the secateurs at his partner or stabbed her with them, with Crown prosecutor Dane Marley saying witnesses had conflicting details of how the woman was injured. Regardless, a jury found Saylor guilty of wounding.
Judge Greg Lynham said an argument over a trivial matter had tuned physical between Saylor and his partner on May 22, 2017.
“When she arrived home ( that day) she observed you and her son drinking cask wine in the lounge room,” Judge Lynham said. “There seemed then to have been a verbal argument between you and the complainant over something completely innocuous.
“You became aggrieved with the complainant not leaving you any smokes.
“You may have been affected by alcohol and there is evidence you may have taken drugs … you then armed yourself with the secateurs.”
Judge Lynham said Saylor was acquitted at trial of another count of wounding relating to an incident where the prosecution argued he threw the garden scissors at a television and they rebounded on to his partner. However, the court heard Saylor then regathered the secateurs and attacked the victim.
She suffered two 2cm- 3cm cuts, which required stitches but were classed as “minor”.
Judge Lynham said Saylor and his then- partner had a volatile relationship and both had experienced issues with drugs.
“On the first day of trial she stormed out of the remote witness room and could not be located,” he said.
“It suggested to me that yours was a relationship with the complainant that was dysfunctional and unhealthy for both of you.”
Saylor was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, to be suspended after six months served.