Probation for drunk abuser

A 38-YEAR-OLD man who verbally abused and taunted his ex-wife during a drunken tirade in breach of a domestic violence order has been handed nine months probation to address his behaviour.

The couple had separated but lived under the same roof just north of Toowoomba to support their children, the city’s Magistrates Court heard.

Told not to come home drunk, the man had arrived home drunk at 4am, August 12, to find himself locked out.

He had then gone on a tirade during which he called his ex-wife “You lazy, useless **** , you can’t even make enough money to keep my a***hole,” police prosecutor Sergeant Natalie Bugden told the court.

The abuse continued for some time, the court heard. The man pleaded guilty. His solicitor Jessica Hine said her client admitted a problem with alcohol and was moving out of the home this week.

The man had a fulltime job in the mines, she said.

Magistrate Howard Osborne said a period of probation would help the man.

“You’ve clearly got a problem with alcohol which you accept,” Mr Osborne said.