A MAN who bashed his partner with a pool cue so badly she died two days later of head injuries cannot remember the incident, the Supreme Court in Ballarat heard yesterday.
The attack, in Sebastopol, also terrified her 15-year-old daughter so badly she said she had never been so scared in her entire life.
Scott James Drummond, 45, yesterday pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter.
Wearing a black suit, the grey-haired and bearded Drummond sat in the dock with his head down, avoiding looking at the family of his victim, Simone Teusner, including her two daughters, her father, several sisters, her brother and several nieces.
Crown prosecutor Diana Piekusis told the court Ms Teusner and Drummond had had a volatile relationship since 2010, marked by several break-ups and reconciliations.
Ms Piekusis said the pair had gone shopping together with another couple on June 7 last year after which Drummond began drinking heavily.
Ms Teusner’s brother Darren then received a phone call from his sister, telling him Drummond was “knocking her around”.
Her daughter Sharni Daniel then heard a bang from the victim’s bedroom and found Drummond on top of her mother with one hand on her throat and one hand on her shoulder.
Ms Piekusis said Sharni yelled at Drummond to get off her mother but he swore at her instead.
Ms Teusner then came between the pair, after which Drummond grabbed her by the throat again and punched her hard to the jaw.
The victim then threw her phone at Sharni and asked her to call the police.
Sharni then heard a loud banging in the garage of the Eastview Court property and found her mother lying beside a couch with her lip bleeding.
Ms Piekusis said Sharni was calling the police again when she saw the victim lying on a different couch with Drummond sitting on top of her with a pool cue raised above his head, yelling at the victim who was screaming out her daughter’s name.
Sharni hid in the bushes while talking to the 000 operators but ran back to her mother when she heard the screaming stop.
She found her with one arm and leg hanging off the couch and a blanket covering her.
“(Sharni) Daniel ran to her mother, face down on the couch with her mouth open and blood coming out of it,” Ms Piekusis said.
“She was unconscious and choking a bit trying to breathe.”
When the police arrived shortly after, they found Drummond drinking in the kitchen and he had to be forcibly removed from the premises.
Ms Teusner was taken to Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital but died on June 9 from blunt head trauma.
In his interview with police, Drummond said he couldn’t remember hitting Ms Teusner and his recollection of the events were hazy.
In her victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Daniel said her mother was one of the most kind-hearted, caring people in the world.
“Imagine pulling back a blanket and seeing your mum’s face all bloodied and beaten,” the statement said.
“I’ve never been so scared in my whole life.”
Defence counsel Tom Danos said Drummond had suffered several serious assaults, including a knife attack which left him with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Not a day goes past that he doesn’t think of Simone,” Mr Danos said.
“He is extremely regretful for his behaviour on that day.
“Clearly there is an issue of consumption of alcohol, and cannabis as well.”
Justice Elizabeth Curtain adjourned the case to September 26 for further medical tests to be carried out on Drummond.