Basher avoids prison

Man dragged woman by her hair

A GAGEBROOK man who bashed a young woman visiting her elderly grandmother – dragging her across the floor by her hair and repeatedly punching her face – has avoided jail time.

On Thursday, Dennis Charles Campbell, 61, was given a four-month suspended jail term by the Hobart Magistrates Court and was disqualified from driving for three years.

Magistrate Chris Webster heard on June 25 last year, a 28-year-old woman was visiting her grandmother at Bridgewater when Campbell let himself into the unit.

An argument ensued between Campbell and the woman over a wallet and a set of keys.

The court heard Campbell punched the young woman’s face twice, pushed her against a wall then dragged her along the floor by her hair and upper body.

He punched her a further three times to the face, with the woman curling up into a foetal position with her arms raised to cover her face, while Campbell slapped and hit her a further eight times.

The court heard the woman’s grandmother was unable to help as she had limited mobility and relied on a walking frame.

Both women told Campbell to leave and he did so – punching the front door twice as he left, leaving a dent in it.

The victim suffered bruising and swelling to her face and a cut lip.

The court also heard that over a six-month period before the assault, Campbell committed a number of thefts including of a knife block from Spotlight, some soap and a takeaway wine holder from the Botanical Gardens, sheet sets from Harris Scarfe in Moonah, and a Black+Decker drill from K&D Warehouse – which he concealed underneath his walking frame.

Defence lawyer Philippa Willshire said Campbell was “certainly no stranger to the criminal justice system”, but had been out of trouble for the 11 years prior to last year’s run of crime.

“He has been out of that vicious cycle and unfortunately the circumstances suggest that something went wrong,” she said.

Campbell pleaded guilty to a host of charges including common assault, destroying property, evading police, a number of stealing charges, breaching bail and a number of traffic offences.