A WARRNAMBOOL man who bashed a woman and pushed over a 72-year-old man, hitting his head on a concrete driveway, has been jailed for two months.
Dean Frances Cochrane, 26, of Crawley Street, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court yesterday to recklessly causing serious injury, recklessly causing injury, causing criminal damage, unlawful assault and behaving in an offensive manner. He was convicted and sentenced to nine months in jail, but seven months of the sentence was suspended for two years.
Cochrane was also placed on a 14-month community corrections order with conditions he do 100 hours’ community work, undertake assessment and treatment in relation to alcohol and drug use, complete a program to stop him reoffending and pay $238 compensation.
Police alleged that on January 20 this year Cochrane argued with a 72-year-old man who was holding a baseball bat. Cochrane made obscene comments to the man and when Cochrane walked away the man abused him.
Cochrane came back and violently pushed him to the chest, causing the victim to fall on his back and hit his head on a concrete driveway.
In the early hours of September 2, 2010, Cochrane argued with a woman at a friend’s home, the dispute escalating to become physical.
Cochrane punched the woman repeatedly to the face and head, causing bruising and swelling, but she did not report the assault to police out of fear.
Just after noon the same day Cochrane and the victim were at the Cobden Shell service station, where he abused and threatened the woman, who the service station manager tried to assist.
Cochrane head-butted the manager to the nose, causing pain and bleeding.
He also head-butted a glass door panel, breaking it.
When police arrived it was found that the woman had suffered extensive facial injuries, including a fractured nose and cheekbone.