Tyrone James Lynch, 27, of Raglan Parade, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court this week to recklessly causing injury and breaching an intervention order.

In August last year Lynch’s then partner took out an intervention order against him.

On September 19 Lynch had been drinking with a friend when his partner came and picked him up.

They started to argue, Lynch threatened the woman before he began hitting her in front of their two children and pulling her hair while she was driving.

He continued to hit her until they got home, when the victim rang police and Lynch fled. The woman suffered minor injuries. Lynch went to Melbourne and returned to Warrnambool on December 15, when he handed himself in to police.

On August 25 last year Lynch pleaded guilty in court to assaulting his partner and causing damage as well as breaking into the Mortlake Football Netball Club in search of alcohol.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with five months to be served before be was eligible for parole. He did five days before he was released on bail after appealing against the severity of the sentence.

Lynch’s most recent offending was committed while he was on bail. He has a long criminal history which mostly relates to his drug addiction.

Defence counsel Matt Senia said Lynch abandoned his appeal after handing himself in to police on December 15 and he restarted serving the five months. He said it was agreed that Lynch would have to serve an additional period of imprisonment.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt handed down a six-month sentence, with an additional four months on top of the five already being served and two months to be served concurrently.

He said acts of violence committed against people someone was supposed to care about were completely indefensible and an extremely aggravating circumstance.

He said Lynch committed offences while he was on bail, in breach of a court order and while his former partner was driving a car with their children watching on.

“It is difficult to imagine a worse set of circumstances,” Mr Klestadt said.

The magistrate said it was a blessing that the woman did not suffer serious injuries.