Bail refused for alleged assaults on former partner

His most recent charges are for contraventions of a family violence intervention order by being at his ex-partner’s home twice in December.

However, he is also facing other earlier charges including several of contravening a family violence intervention order, nine of committing an indictable offence while on bail, three of unlawful assault, intentionally causing injury, aggravated assault, threatening to inflict serious injury and threatening to distribute an intimate image.

Mitchell Police Family Violence Unit First Constable Michael Marrett told the court the man was on bail after several alleged incidents in October, 2021.

Police allege the man punched his former partner of three years in the face, leaving her with a black eye and possible broken nose after pinning her against a mirror in an effort to get her face identification on her phone to give him access to it on October 17.

On October 27 he climbed into the woman’s Nagambie house through a window and then hit her on the nose after she refused to give him the passcode to her phone, First Constable Marrett said.

The police officer said the woman was scared the man would kill her if he saw messages on her phone that she had sent to a friend after the October 17 incident.

The court was told that the following day the man saw another man at the woman’s house on her CCTV and messaged the woman to say he would “cave” the other man’s head in.

When the accused turned up at the woman’s house, the other man got in his own car and the accused punched the car’s window and smashed the mirror with his fist, First Constable Marrett said.

In the early hours of the next morning, the accused emailed the woman and asked her not to contact police.

First Constable Marrett said the man then sent his former partner an email on October 31 saying he would send old images of her smoking to her boss, before calling her 13 times and telling her he would send intimate images of her to her boss and post them on Facebook.

In the early hours of November 1, the woman received a friend request on Snapchat, and after accepting the request, received intimate images of herself. She also saw other people had also viewed these images, First Constable Marrett said.

The court was told that in the current incidents included the man being at his former partner’s house on January 5 and 7, despite an intervention order that does not allow him to go there.

First Constable Marrett said the man’s ex-partner did not oppose him getting bail. However, he argued that the proposed bail address across the road from the victim was not appropriate.

The man’s solicitor, Emma King, asked for bail, saying the risk could be mitigated by strict conditions placed on her client.

Magistrate Peter Mithen refused bail, remanding the man in custody until his next court appearance in Seymour Magistrates’ Court on April 14.