Cheating ‘beating’
A YOUNG woman who caught her boyfriend in the sack with another girl would not stop beating him even when police arrived, a North Queensland court was told.
The labourer, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded guilty to a total of three charges of contravening a domestic violence protection order made against her on July 16 last year.
The charges, relating to three incidents on February 28 and March 12 and 19, were all aggravated offences.
In the most serious incident in February, the defendant caught her on-again offagain partner in bed with another woman in his home, despite the terms of the protection order at the time barring her from being at the victim’s property uninvited.
Police prosecutor Jordan Theed said at the time of the offence the couple were separated but had subsequently got back together.
“She’s attended the address uninvited, she’s entered the dwelling during which there is a physical altercation (resulting in) property damage,” he said.
“Further, police have attended, they’ve observed her inside the dwelling push the aggrieved on the couch, jump on top of him, slapped him in the head and hit him with a closed fist.”
Mr Theed said the offending was of concern given the fact she had arrived at the property uninvited and that the violence continued even in the presence of police.
He said the woman had previously been fined for contravening protection orders but the latest spate of offences warranted a stronger sentence.
Defence lawyer Margaret
Crowther said the terms of the protection order had subsequently been altered to allow the couple “to be together”.
“The issue at the time was the level of alcohol consumption and she’s addressed that with her general practitioner; she no longer drinks spirits but occasionally has a couple of beers with her partner on the weekend.”
She said there had been no further incidents of violence since February, urging a sentence of six months’ probation.
Magistrate Peter Smid sentenced the woman to nine months’ probation.
He also chose to “stretch the credibility of the court a little bit” by not recording convictions, saying the offending occurred during a time of upheaval in the young woman’s life.
“You’re a young woman, you’ve bothered to get a job, you have fines still hanging over your head that you’ll need to pay off, I want to give you every chance and let you give yourself a chance too.”
Magistrate Smid warned the defendant that any further breaches could result in a resentencing in which convictions would be recorded and her employment impacted.