By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A drunken 23-year-old mother who pleaded guilty to twice attending her Hallam boyfriend’s home while he was in bed and attacking him was refused bail.
On the first occasion, the Noble Park woman let herself in with a spare set of keys in the early hours of 23 March and accused the awoken victim of cheating on her, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard.
During the argument, she grabbed the man’s neck to try to throttle him and then punched him in the nose, leaving a two centimetre gash.
A friend tried to intervene in the fight until police separated the pair about 2.45am.
Police told the court on 1 May that the accused was too intoxicated to be interviewed, but said: “How can I punch a grown man (so hard) for his nose to bleed?
“Do I look that strong to you?”
The boyfriend was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment, and the accused was later served with a full intervention order to protect the victim.
On 30 April, the woman breached that order by banging on the boyfriend’s door while he was in bed.
When he answered the door, the accused grabbed him around the throat and punched him in the face, causing a minor injury.
The woman, who had two children that no longer lived with her, then threw a brick through the complainant’s bedroom window.
She told a police interview early on 1 May that she would “kill that f***ing c***” upon her release, and there was nothing the police could do to stop her.
A defence lawyer told the court that day the accused and victim had been in a 10-month relationship that had descended into mutual physical violence over recent months.
“The facts do suggest that my client has struggled with alcohol and anger issues,” the lawyer said.
“She instructs me that the violence in their relationship is aggravated by drinking.”
The accused had plans to move to Caroline Springs for support from relatives and to remove herself from the relationship and re-unite with her children, the lawyer said.
“It is clearly a toxic relationship.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said he wouldn’t tolerate the lawyer’s “victim blaming” submissions.
“I wouldn’t tolerate it for a male (accused) and I won’t tolerate it for a female.
“She’s the one going around there assaulting him.
“If this was a male doing this, what do you think the outcome would be?”
Mr Vandersteen said the two incidents of attempted choking in the victim’s own home greatly escalated the risk.
The accused was fortunate to be not charged with aggravated burglary, Mr Vandersteen said.
“If she is trying to extract herself from the relationship what is she doing there in breach of an intervention order and while he was asleep?”
Mr Vandersteen ordered the woman to be remanded in custody for a community corrections assessment and sentencing the next day.
“Alcohol is clearly a problem for you … (where) you are passing out and waking up still affected by alcohol.
“It requires you to engage in treatment and rehabilitation.”
