Man jailed for 'frightening'family violence

Steven Petrovic was sentenced to 12 months' prison at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday. He has already served 316 days of his sentence through pre-sentence detention.

When released from prison, the 64-year-old man will be on a community corrections order for 24 months.

Magistrate Noreen Toohey said Petrovic's behaviour was frightening, violent, degrading and humiliating.

"There is no question the offending is serious. It was committed on (the complainant) in front of (her child)"," Ms Toohey said.

She said the victim impact statements demonstrated the impact of serious family violence on children.

Before the incident, the complainant had to show her 11-year-old son what to do in a family violence situation and they practiced how to call emergency services.

Petrovic pleaded guilty before the start of a contested hearing at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court last week. He had already succeeded in having his charges heard in the lower court.

The court was told the complainant was at her house with her 11-year-old son and another man when she invited the accused to visit on April 16.

Petrovic arrived in an angry and substance-affected state and he and the other man were drinking alcohol.

The complainant became fearful the accused could became angry because he was drinking and she told her son to go to his bedroom.

An altercation occurred when Petrovic grabbed the complainant, pushed his fingers into her shoulder and took her to the ground.

Petrovic took the complainant's car keys without her knowledge and drove her car to buy alcohol and cigarettes with the second man but Petrovic returned alone.

Petrovic asked the complaint where her son was before he started yelling at her and accussing her of sleeping with another man, which she denied.

The man grabbed her hair and used his hand to force her head down into his crouch for oral sex while calling her derogatory names.

She said this continued for 10 minutes until the second man returned back at the house to collect his mobile phone.

Petrovic slapped the woman on the neck, saying "you deserve every bit of that and more", took her mobile phone so she could not call the police and drove her car to Dan Murphy's to buy more beer.

When Petrovic returned, he grabbed the complainant's left arm and held her to the ground.

The complainant yelled, hoping her neighbours could hear her. The complainant's son came out of his room and saw Petrovic hit his mother on her shoulder and holding her left arm tightly causing it to bleed.

The complainant's son told Petrovic to stop and to "get off my mum" before Petrovic pushed him in the chest.

At 12.36pm, the complainant's son used his mother's phone to call the police. The complainant suffered a tendon tear in her shoulder, redness and soreness.

Petrovic's defence counsel had said Petrovic pleaded guilty early which saved the child from giving evidence.

The magistrate said the case highlighted the impact of family violence on those involved.

"What this case highlights is the impact of family violence, not only on victims, partners and children, but on offenders as they grow up. Mr Petrovic realises he has to move on with his life," Ms Toohey said.

She said the sentenced needed to include general deterrence to deter like-minded offenders and specific deterrence to deter Petrovic from further offending.

"The offending must be denounced and Mr Petrovic must be punished," Ms Toohey said.

Petrovic's CCO includes supervision, judicial monitoring, treatment and assessment for drugs and alcohol and a Forensicare problem behaviour program.

He pleaded guilty to six charges, including common law assault, unlawful assault and attempted sexual assault.

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