Robert Morgan sentenced in Court to 15 months in jail

Robert Morgan, of Bannerman Crescent, Kelso, appeared in Bathurst Local Court via audio visual link (AVL) on November 1, 2023, on four counts of contravene prohibition or restriction in an apprehended violence order (AVO).

He pleaded guilty to all four charges.

Morgan was released from jail on parole on October 8, 2023, provided he complied with a number of restrictions including not going within 100 metres of an address where the occupant was the victim of an AVO against him.

According to court documents, Morgan first breached his parole conditions the day after being released, on October 9, 2023, by visiting his mother who lived within the area he was restricted from being in.

Morgan then returned to his mother's house a further three times in four days - October 13, 14 and 16 - claiming his reason for visiting was due to her being unwell, court documents read.

At the time, Morgan was wearing an ankle monitor and on October 18, 2023, police were informed by Community Corrections of the ongoing breaches.

According to court documents, police went to an address in Littlebourne Street, Kelso, where they knew Morgan was staying, and cautioned him before taking him to Bathurst Police Station.

Morgan's solicitor told Bathurst Local Court on November 1, 2023, that while he did breach his AVO, it was to take care of his mother "who has Type 2 diabetes and called to ask him to take care of her when she was having a sugar rush."

However, Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis told the court she was of the opinion the Section 5 threshold had been crossed - meaning no penalty other than full-time imprisonment is appropriate - and sentenced Morgan to 15 months behind bars beginning on November 1, 2023, with a non-parole period of 10 months.

Morgan lodged an appeal scheduled for hearing on December 1, 2023 at Orange District Court.

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