A WARRNAMBOOL man who struck his new girlfriend to her injured back will pay $3000 to the court fund.
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Jesse Levi Scott, 27, of Barkly Street, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to unlawful assault, making a threat and breaching an intervention order. He was convicted and ordered to pay the fine.
Police told the court Scott and a woman had been in a relationship for one month when they met up at a Port Fairy hotel on March 13.
During the night, the woman spoke to an ex-boyfriend and Scott approached and threatened to “snap” the man's neck if they continued talking, police said.
Early the next morning, the couple was still at the hotel when the woman spoke to another man.
Scott approached her from behind and she was struck to her back. She turned around and saw Scott smiling. He knew she had an existing back injury.
The woman claims she has suffered continual pain, sought help from physiotherapists and doctors and is taking a range of medication including morphine.
An intervention order was put in place but the woman told police Scott had approached her a number of times at a nightclub in June and, a week later, sent her a text message.
Defence counsel Alex McCulloch said his client did not admit causing the ongoing back pain and the woman had a pre-existing condition.
He said Scott had a prior court appearance after being involved in a fight at the Warrnambool taxi rank.
Magistrate John Lesser said a reference spoke highly of Scott, but when he consumed alcohol he got himself into trouble.
He said if Scott returned to court for similar offending, he could end up in jail.
The magistrate said Scott's drinking needed to be “sorted out” so he didn't appear in court again.
Meanwhile in a separate case, a father of four who stole wheel rims and tried to sell them on Facebook must complete an additional 30 hours of community work.
Andrew Young, 26, of Glasgow Street in Warrnambool pleaded guilty to theft.
The court heard his house had recently burnt down and his family was on the waiting list for public housing.
Young told police he took the rims because he thought they were rubbish.
He was already serving a corrections order for selling a fridge that had a working light only, and being clocked driving at 178 kilometres an hour.
