A Ballarat magistrate has given a stern message to an abuser who attacked his former partner in two "serious and sustained" family violence incidents.
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"In my view in the circumstances of family violence it is hard to see what could be a more serious example of these charges," Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said at a hearing on Tuesday.
"You treated her as an object, not as a human being.
"General deterrence for such serious and sustained offending warrants immediate and stern punishment."
The comments were made at a plea hearing for a 37-year-old Sebastopol man at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court.
The 37-year-old faced six charges including common law assault, intentionally causing injury and possessing an imitation firearm.
He will not be named to protect the identity of the victim, who he shares two children with.
The charges related to two incidents in January and February 2024, one at a relative's house and another at their Sebastopol home.
At the first incident, on January 13, the man and his partner had been drinking at the relative's home to celebrate their child's birthday.
During the night, the man lost an arm wrestle to his partner's step-father, who then went to bed.
Upset at losing, the man verbally abused his partner before hitting her multiple times to the face, resulting in a blood nose.
The second incident occurred on the morning of February 3, after the man and his partner had neighbours around for drinks in their garage.
After the previous night of drinking the man went to bed, and woke at about 7.30am to find his partner and a neighbour still drinking and listening to music.
The 37-year-old got up and turned off the music, telling the neighbour to leave.
He then lit a cigarette and watched as his partner led the neighbour out - seeing them exchange phone numbers.
The man ran outside and began assaulting the neighbour, hitting him multiple times to the head and causing "heavy bleeding".
He then pushed his partner to the ground, kicked her in the head, and began dragging her by the hair.
The woman broke free and ran to another neighbour's home, banging on the front door for help.
The neighbour answered the door to find the man holding his partner by the hair, and banging her head on a brick wall.
The neighbour attempted to break the situation up, and was pushed back inside by the man.
After the assault the man ran from the scene. The neighbour helped his partner inside and called the police.
Police arrived at the Sebastopol home, and found two illegal "gel blaster" imitation firearms in the garage.
The 37-year-old handed himself in to the Ballarat police station at 10.30am that morning.
The neighbour who was hit multiple times in the head was taken to the Ballarat base hospital and treated for several lacerations.
The woman was also taken to the hospital, and treated for grazed arms and legs, and a lump on her forehead.
During his police interview, the man admitted most of the offending.
At Tuesday's hearing, the man's lawyer Crystal Caruana said her client had sought counselling and family violence offender programs in the wake of the incidents.
She said her client felt "mad at himself" for the assaults, and confessed to police immediately, speeding along the case.
Police prosecutor sergeant James Hogben said a prison sentence was a necessary response to the offending.
"Can you push somebody to the ground, punch them multiple times to the face, grab your partner by their hair, bang their head against the wall, kick her to the head, kick her to the stomach in what I could call an ongoing attack... Can you do that and avoid jail?" Sergeant Hogben said.
"The community needs to be protected and needs to know that this behaviour is entirely unacceptable."
Magistrate Guillaume Bailin agreed that a prison sentence was needed, and said the matter was serious enough to warrant a County Court hearing.
"I don't see how there is any sentence that doesn't involve immediate custody," the magistrate said.
"Frankly without the early plea, there is a real question if it is appropriate for this court to determine this matter, given how serious it is."
The 37-year-old was sentenced to 20 months imprisonment, with a 10 month non-parole period.
"You punched your partner, the mother of your children, to the face multiple times, all because you didn't like a comment she made about you losing an arm wrestle," Magistrate Bailin said.
"A term of imprisonment beyond 12 months is called for."
If you or someone you know is in need of crisis support, phone Lifeline 13 11 14. Help is also available, but not limited, via the following organisations. The key message is you are not alone.
- Relationships Australia: 1800 050 321
- Family violence: 1800 RESPECT
