More jail time for Sydney man

Charged with assaulting former girlfriend

Having been credited with 225 days spent on remand, a Sydney man must now serve an additional 210 days in jail after pleading guilty to a host of offences.

Matthew David Burns, 29, was sentenced on six counts of breaching court orders, and single counts of obstruction of justice, assault, driving with a blood-alcohol level exceeding the legal limit and driving while disqualified. The offences occurred between 2017 and 2018.

He was charged with assault after his former girlfriend reported to police being awoken by Burns yelling at her and accusing her of stealing his wallet and sleeping with another man.

The woman told police she was repeatedly punched by Burns.

A breach charge was also related to the assault in that after his arrest, Burns repeatedly contacted the woman when he was ordered by the court to have no contact.

The obstruction charge is also related in that Burns asked the woman to recant her testimony in exchange for money and gifts.

The impaired driving charge relates to an incident in October 2017 when Burns was stopped by police while driving on Victoria Road in Sydney.

The vehicle was first noticed by police because it did not display any rear tail lights and was being driven at a high rate of speed.

A blood-alcohol level test administered Burns revealed a level twice the legal limit of 80 milligrams.

The remaining breach offences deal with a failure to abide by a curfew and failure not to have contact with an individual.

In addition to the jail sentence, Burns is banned from driving for one-year and is also to complete a one-year probation period during which he is to have no contact with his former partner and is to abstain from alcohol and drugs not prescribed him.