SENTENCED: A man, 34, was placed on an 18-month good behaviour bond in Orange court for assaulting his wife.
A MAN’S house is not his castle and he can’t do whatever he wants behind closed doors.
They were the words of rebuke to a Manildra man after he bashed his wife in front of his children after he had been smoking marijuana.
“A man’s house is not his castle, it’s a woman’s castle too and you have no right to set the example you did especially in front of your children,” magistrate Greg Grogan told the man when he stood before him on Tuesday.
The accused was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm for assaulting his partner.
His solicitor Andrew Rolfe handed up references to the magistrate attesting to the good character of the accused.
But the Mr Grogan did not accept they were a reflection of his character on the night.
“These people think you’re wonderful at work but in fact you terrorised your wife and children and I am sure if they had seen your actions they would not have written those references for you - you don’t attack a woman because it’s just not on,” he told the accused.
Mr Rolfe apologised on behalf of his client to the court saying his client recognised he behaved badly towards his wife and children.
“His wife is in court today to support my client and I am instructed their relationship has improved,” Mr Rolfe said.
A verbal argument between the couple erupted just after 6pm on April 3 this year when the man arrived home and took marijuana from his pocket intending to smoke it in front of his five children aged eight, seven, four, three and one.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” the victim said to his partner.
The accused replied telling his partner she couldn’t tell him what to do.
A heated verbal argument followed and the man injured his partner by throwing an apple striking her back and caused her to stumble into a cupboard.
The accused apologised to his partner saying: “I didn’t mean to hurt you baby,” and offered her an ice pack which she rejected.
The argument continued to accelerate and became more physical in the bedroom before the accused went to bed.
Early the next morning the victim went to Orange hospital to be treated for her injuries asking staff on duty to call police.
