A WARRNAMBOOL magistrate says he fears he will end up the coroner on an inquest if a violent relationship continues.
Peta Plowright, 33, of Wickham Court, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court yesterday to breaching an intervention order and was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment.
The court heard that on Saturday Plowright and her partner were watching the AFL grand final at a friend’s house when there was a verbal argument.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Paul Harris said when they returned home, the argument escalated and Plowright punched and scratched her partner.
He said both had been drinking and the partner called police.
He said police observed a small cut to the victim’s eye and there was an intervention order in place which prohibited Plowright from committing family violence.
He said when Plowright was interviewed by police she said she was defending herself.
The court heard the victim had declined to make a statement or tell police what had happened.
Senior Constable Harris said Plowright had indicated she wanted to make a formal complaint. On May 10, Plowright pleaded guilty to assaulting police and assaulting the same victim and was given a three-month suspended sentence and community corrections order. On May 18, the orders were breached and she served three months in jail before being released on August 30.
Defence lawyer Matthew Senia said the previous offending had been because of the extremely volatile relationship.
He said the catalyst was alcohol and Plowright had been the victim of domestic violence in her current and previous relationships.
“My client is now in a desperate situation,” he said.
Mr Klestadt said as soon as Plowright had been released from prison she had behaved exactly the same way with exactly the same people.
He said it was likely he would end up a coroner sitting on an inquest into the death of either Plowright or her partner and the result would be wasted lives at a huge cost to the community.
Plowright addressed Mr Klestadt and said her partner was intent on having a fight. She said she had tried to run away and she didn’t want to go to jail for something he had done to her.
She was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment. Mr Klestadt said that but for her plea of guilty, she would have been sentenced to three months’ jail.
