A WARRNAMBOOL man who has been in court up to 50 times during the past couple of years in relation to intervention orders with his partner was yesterday jailed for a minimum of 12 months after breaching those orders.
Anthony Alexander Hunt, 44, of Ocean Grove, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court yesterday.
He was jailed for 18 months and has to serve 12 month before being eligible for parole.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Sandra Skilton estimated that Hunt and his partner Penelope Fran Simons had been in court between 40 and 50 times during the past couple of years in relation to intervention orders they had taken out against each other.
She said it appeared to her Hunt had provided far more assistance to Ms Simons than she provided him, but all efforts to support the couple had failed and all support agencies involved were at their wits end.
In June this year Hunt received a nine-month jail sentence after he punched his partner to the mouth, which was suspended for 24 months.
A condition of the intervention order was that Hunt was not allowed to visit his partner between 6pm and 9am.
At 8.15pm on September 3 members of the south-west family violence unit attended Ms Simons’ home and Hunt came to the front door.
He left after being spoken to by police but went back at 8.50pm and stayed the night despite being requested to leave by Ms Simons. On September 4 the order was again varied, banning Hunt from going within 50 metres of Ms Simons’ home.
Hunt was served the new order at court that day.
Despite the court order, between September 4 and 10 Hunt stayed with Ms Simons daily.
Defence counsel Danielle Svede said her client admitted to having anger management issues and he had just spent 16 days in custody.
Magistrate Ann McGarvie said Hunt was old enough to know better than to breach intervention orders.
She said the suspended jail sentence had been breached and the nine-month jail term had to be imposed.
The magistrate imposed a total effective sentence of 18 months with a 12-month term to be served in jail before Hunt is eligible for parole.
Ms Simons yesterday successfully applied for her intervention order to be further varied.
The order has now been extended for another 16 months and includes conditions Hunt not assault her, damage her property or come within 50 metres of her property.
