A man who kicked his off-and-on again partner during a public fight in the Department of Communities and Justice building in Summer Street was given a custodial sentence on Wednesday.
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The man who is not named to protect the identity of the victim, represented himself in Orange Local Court after pleading guilty to a domestic violence common assault and contravening an existing Apprehended Domestic Violence Order.
The fight was captured on CCTV and staff witnessed part of the altercation.
According to police, the woman entered the building and sat in the waiting area at 11am on July 29, and shortly afterwards the man entered and confronted her, asking for his possessions.
The woman then stood up and pulled a drink bottle from her handbag and hit him twice to the right side of his face and he immediately kicked her back.
The man and woman, then got into a verbal argument in the reception area. She threw the drink bottle at him and he threw a bag at her and kicked her again. She kicked him back.
They then started pushing and shoving each other and appeared to be fighting over a jumper he was holding. During the fight she hit him four times in the face, he picked up a black box and a hat from the floor, and the woman pushed him as they continued to argue.
Staff contacted the police and the man was arrested at Orange police station at 6.50pm that evening.
Magistrate David Day told the man that it is a matter of law according to the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act that a breach of an Apprehended Domestic Violence Order that involves violence, must incur a sentence of imprisonment.
The man was unable to give a reason why a sentence of imprisonment should not be imposed but said he was trying to stay away from the woman.
"I'm done, it's really hard though, I try to keep my distance [but] she's around every corner," he said.
Mr Day said the assault in the department's building "beggars belief".
"You have to know that they have CCTV and they know what they are looking at," he said.
He placed the man on an 18-month community-based Intensive Correction Order.
"If you breach you will go back to the state parole authority," he said.
"Your freedom is up to you, you are in control of your destiny."
He also reminded the man that he is forbidden from approaching or being in the woman's company or "community corrections will act".
The offence also put the man in breach of Community Correction Orders he was given for shoplifting and having suspected stolen goods in his custody earlier in the year.
Mr Day revoked the orders and resentenced the man to new 18-month CCOs starting from Wednesday.
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