By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A EUMEMMERRING man clawed his housemate’s eyes as he accused him of hacking his mobile phone, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard.
Stephen Simpson pleaded guilty to assaulting his then co-tenant of two years as the victim watched TV at their Berwick home late one Sunday night in July.
The victim was then pulled by the hair, placed in a headlock and accused by Simpson of “trying to destroy my life”.
Simpson then pulled at the victim’s eyes with his fingers until the victim agreed that he did hack the accused’s phone.
The housemate was treated for sore, bruised and blood-shot eyes at Casey Hospital, where he rang police.
Simpson was visited by police and taken to hospital for a psychiatric assessment while an intervention order was created to protect his housemate.
After his arrest two months later, Simpson gave a largely no-comment police interview and denied the incident.
Simpson’s lawyer told the court the accused was in a “good place” since being placed on a community treatment order.
“If he fails to comply with the requirements of the treatment order, he’ll have to deal with the consequences of that.”
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell said a medical report showed the accused had an “incredible lack of insight” and his offending was directly related to his mental illness.
In sentencing, she took into account that Simpson was already on a compulsory order.
“Given the paranoia behind this offending and the lack of engagement with the treatment team, I doubt if he could do a corrections order.”
Simpson was convicted and fined $1500.
