By Cam Lucadou-Wells
AN 18-YEAR-OLD man’s sentence has been deferred after pleading guilty to punching, strangling and hitting a school girl to the head with a hammer while she was trapped in his Hampton Park family’s backyard shed.
The man, who had spent most of the previous 49 days in adult custody, was freed on bail by Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 21 November – partly to treat his anger issues.
The man had claimed he had blacked out through anger during the assault.
One of the victim’s dozen supporters directed retributive words to the man’s family and friends who waited several minutes later before leaving the courtroom.
The 17-year-old victim, who watched on from the gallery, called out during the deferral of sentence: “Because he’s allowed to be angry.”
In a previous hearing, she’d stated the accused had taken everything from her; had made her feel worthless, unable to sleep and afraid to love again.
The man had pleaded guilty to intentionally and recklessly causing injury as well as false imprisonment of the victim on 2 and 3 October.
During the incident, he struck her to the head three times with a hammer.
He told her if she called police, he’ll kill her or himself. Angered by a video found on the girl’s phone, the man choked her twice until she was unconscious.
He later told police that he had got so angry that he had blacked out himself.
He had choked her to scare her and stop her yelling, he allegedly told police.
As he held a sharp tool near her eye, he told her again that he would kill her.
The ordeal ended when his mother rang the victim’s family.
The man’s lawyer told the court that the accused’s anger issues needed to be addressed.
What was of most concern is there is no real indicator that drugs and alcohol are over-riding drivers of his behaviour.
The court had been told in a previous hearing that the man was not violent with his relatives at home and had no criminal history.
He had been recently sent away by his mother to a Brisbane relative and headspace mental health agency to solve his anger problems.
His family were determined to ensure the man didn’t reconcile with the victim, the lawyer said.
A psychiatric report concluded there was no psychiatric illness but references to the man’s immaturity, to the anger and the jealousy towards the complainant, the lawyer said.
It suggested alcohol issues needed to be addressed but poly-substance abuse didn’t seem to impact the man’s behaviour.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said the deferred sentence gave him the chance to see if the man could comply with bail and Youth Justice directions.
He warned that an adult custodial sentence could be still on the cards.
“The whole focus on this is for you to get treatment and that this doesn’t happen again.
“You have got to engage in your rehabilitation. These problems will only manifest and get worse if you don’t,” Mr Vandersteen said.
The man was bailed on a night curfew and that he didn’t take drugs or alcohol and complied with a Youth Justice program.
He is also subject to a full and indefinite intervention order protecting the victim.
He is set to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on 13 December.
