“THERE is no place for domestic violence, none, zero,” warned magistrate Michael Allen on Monday as he spoke about what he said was an epidemic across the nation.
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Mr Allen was sentencing Caleb Bogle, 21, of Pacific Way, Bathurst, who was convicted of common assault against his girlfriend.
Police facts tendered to the court told how the victim attended a home in Hope Street at around 9.45pm on June 10 this year to pick up Bogle, who was well affected by alcohol.
She tried to encourage Bogle to come home, but he became argumentative and abusive towards her. When he pushed her, she retaliated by pushing him back.
The accused pulled the victim to the floor and held her down, yelling at her, as she tried to push him away.
Bogle walked out, followed by the victim, who tried to talk to him. But he walked over to her car and punched the driver’s side window. The victim tried to reason with him, but Bogle punched the driver’s side mirror of the victim’s car, smashing it.
Our sisters, aunts deserve better.
- Magistrate Michael Allen
Bogle’s solicitor said his client pleaded guilty to the common assault, saying it was at the lower end of objective seriousness. He also said Bogle was heavily intoxicated at the time he broke the mirror.
The court heard Bogle had since developed an insight into the effect alcohol had on him and he was subsequently abstaining from it. Bogle’s solicitor also said the damaged mirror had been repaired.
Mr Allen said the reality about domestic violence was it affected all levels of society.
“From the richest to the poorest, in all sorts of towns, and it’s predominantly women who suffer,” he said.
Mr Allen asked Bogle if he had sisters. He said he did.
“Think about if they were in a relationship with a partner beating them up,” he said. “Think about this: every week in this country a woman is killed by domestic violence - our aunts, mothers, sisters, nieces, daughters killed.”
Mr Allen said if one woman was killed by a shark every week, it would be in every newspaper and on every television news bulletin.
“It’s an epidemic. Don’t be part of it,” he said. “Real men don’t do this. Don’t cross the line. Our women, our sisters, our aunts deserve better. Carry that lesson with you – there is no place for domestic violence, none, zero.”
On the common assault, Bogle was convicted and fined $500.