A man who took his pregnant girlfriend's car and assaulted her after she asked for it back has been sentenced in Orange Local Court for domestic violence and driving offences.
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The 22-year-old Orange man is not named to protect the identity of the victim, who he did not live with.
According to police, the victim was several weeks into her pregnancy and was a passenger while the man drove her car on August 10, 2019.
They started arguing while he drove and he said, "shut up, I'm going to punch you."
The woman got scared and she immediately stopped talking.
The man was charged with intimidation and appeared before magistrate David Day in Orange Local Court for sentencing.
Mr Day gave him a two-year community correction order with conditions including he be of good behaviour and participate in rehabilitation programs.
The man had a disqualified driver's licence at the time of the offence and Mr Day gave him another six-month driving disqualification and a 10-month CCO.
Two days later, at 9.30am on August 12, 2019, the victim was getting ready to go to a class but the man had her car even though his driver's licence was still disqualified.
She called him and said she needed the car and he got angry but drove to her house to pick her up.
When the victim went to get out of the car at her destination the man accelerated and continued driving several blocks away and they got into an argument about his use of her car.
The woman slapped him and he slapped her back.
The man then drove her to his house. The woman got out and said she would collect her property and leave but the man threatened to throw pieces of ice that were left as a result of a cold morning, and he said he would damage her car if she didn't get back in.
He also thew her property into the boot of the car before getting back into it and driving away. The victim phoned the police who arrested the man, who refused to say where he left her car.
Mr Day gave him another two-year CCO for intimidation, a three-year CCO for assault and an eight-month CCO and six-month driving disqualification for driving while disqualified.
"The assault was a slap, it did arise after she slapped him but that's no reason to retaliate," Mr Day said.
"Had it been anything more than a slap I would would jail you."
He also gave the man a 12-month CCO and 12-month driving disqualification for driving while disqualified on November 2, 2019.
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