By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
AN ICE-user who pleaded guilty to persistently visiting and bashing his ex-girlfriend described one of his attacks as not an assault but a “hug”.
Samuel George Patch, 25, of Hampton Park, repeatedly breached intervention orders and committed escalating violence against the victim, according to a police summary presented at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday 21 September.
Patch visited the victim’s Dandenong North house to smoke ice with her, then accused her of being a prostitute and working at a brothel, and asked how much men pay for her, the court was told.
He stayed until the next morning – in breach of a night curfew as part of his bail conditions.
At 6am, Patch aggressively pushed the victim onto her bed, grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head towards him. In the process, Patch scratched the victim’s right cheek.
She escaped to report the incident to Dandenong police.
He told police at the time that he didn’t think his most recent attack on 9 August was an assault. “I see it as a hug,” he said.
At the time, Patch was serving a 12-month corrections order which began on 27 January.
In September Patch was issued a limited intervention order after assaulting the victim and smashing a mirror and window at her home, the court was told.
He was subsequently charged with breaching intervention orders in November, December and February.
On one of those occasions, Patch punched the victim to the face after they had spent the day smoking ice together.
At another time, he ignored a five-metre ban from the victim by visiting her Clarinda home, punching her to the face and stealing her handbag, purse and phone.
She suffered a bruised back, cut lip and black eye as a result.
The handbag was returned by Patch’s brother-in-law two days later.
Magistrate Greg Connellan sentenced a smirking Patch to two months’ jail for breaching a corrections order plus a consecutive one months’ jail for his recent offending.
When released, Patch must serve an 18-month corrections order, including supervision, judicial monitoring, drug and mental health treatment and behavioural programs.
He was ordered not to contact or associate with the victim during the order.
“As a young man, it’s a pity to see you in custody but you are continually using ice and while on ice you assault your girlfriend.”
Patch was also fined $500 for two counts of unlicensed driving and cannabis possession.
Mr Connellan said he’d shown a “hell of a lot of faith” in the accused.
The 90-day jail term – which included 49 days of pre-sentence detention – was “sufficient” only if Patch complied with the future corrections order.
“It seems in my mind that one month without a corrections order wouldn’t cut it.
“If you don’t comply with the corrections order, bring your toothbrush.”
