A MAN who climbed into his ex-partner’s house while she slept and then bashed her has been given a suspended sentence.
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Ronald Joseph Slater, 42, of Laverock Road, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Koori Court on Thursday to one charge of assault and one charge of failing to appear in court.
The court heard that in January 2011 Slater was living in Mooroopna when he climbed into the victim’s house while she slept. The woman was sleeping on a mattress in the lounge room and woke up when she heard Slater.
Slater pushed the woman to the ground and punched her face several times before he left.
He was arrested and put in the cells because he was too intoxicated to be interviewed.
The court heard Slater had a poor history involving assaults and breaching intervention orders on the same victim.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said violence against women was unforgivable.
He said he didn’t know how anyone involved in acts of serious violence against someone they were meant to care for could stay in that relationship. He said if Slater’s only excuse was alcohol then he needed to stop drinking.
Mr Klestadt said he was prepared to accept that Slater had made genuine efforts to stop drinking and it was for that reason alone that he wasn’t being locked up.
Slater’s defence counsel said his previous history was for offending in the Mooroopna area and he had moved to Warrnambool to deal with his alcohol issues.
He said Slater lived with his sister who provided strong support and was regularly attending the Men’s Shed and a community lunch. He said he had made a positive decision to turn his life around.
Slater was given a three-month jail sentence wholly suspended for two years.
He was also placed on a 12-month community corrections order and ordered to complete 60 hours of unpaid community work.