Jail the only option for violent man who fled police, resisted arrest

Gerard Lethbridge sentenced a 33-year-old Warrnambool man to jail after he pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to drug, driving and family violence-related offending on March 25, 2024.

The court heard the man, who cannot be named as that could identify the victim, was subject to a family violence intervention order put in place to protect his former partner.

Neighbours called police to the woman's house during March 2023, concerned for her welfare after hearing screaming.

One one occasion officers found the woman had suffered a facial injury.

She did not make a statement but videos of the violence were later found on her phone.

Then on February 1, 2024, police were again called to the house where they found significant damage inside the home, as well as red marks to the victim's body.

The man was heavily drug affected, aggressive and when police attempted to arrest him, he resisted.

There was a short struggle, OC spray was deployed and he was eventually overpowered and taken into police custody.

He was later found with a 44-gram bottle of liquid believed to be GHB.

The man also admitted fleeing police in a black Subaru on Raglan Parade on October 31, 2023.

On that occasion members tried to intercept the man who fled the scene but later handed himself into Warrnambool police.

He was a disqualified driver at the time.

The court heard the man was bailed on February 12, 2024 to live at Harmony House Rehab but he left after two days and never returned.

He was sighted by police on February 16 at the Laverock Road BP service station and was subsequently arrested.

The man had served 49 days in pre-sentence detention at the time of Tuesday's plea hearing.

Magistrate Lethbridge said the man had a significant criminal record, including seven prior convictions for breaching family violence intervention orders.

"At the age of 33 you don't get any discount for being young or silly as you would if you were 18 or 19," he said.

He said family violence, particularly against women, was a significant problem in the community.

"It's only when violent men decide to change their ways that those women can actually be protected," Mr Lethbridge said.

"But when an offender acts in breach of a court order specifically designed to protect that individual, you go to jail, which is why you're going to jail today."

The magistrate said intervention orders were to be strictly adhered to by those subject to them.

He said if the man returned to court for similar offending he would be sentenced to longer and longer jail terms until they were measured in years.

The magistrate suggested the offender complete a men's behaviour change program to learn to control his violent impulses.

The man was jailed for six months with the 49 days counted as served.

His driver's licence was cancelled for two years.

A community corrections order was also cancelled and the man was re-sentenced to three months' imprisonment, to be served concurrently with the other jail term.