By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
AN ICE addict violently attacked his female ex-partner in Warneet and Dandenong – on one occasion over her dropping a hair-gel container.
The 22-year-old Dandenong man shouted at the woman at his home on 7 May after she accidentally dropped the hair gel and disturbed the man’s housemate, a Dandenong Magistrates’ Court sentence indication hearing was told.
As the victim walked away outside the house, the man kicked her leg from behind and caused her to fall.
A neighbour, who saw the man choking the victim and slamming her against a fence, told the man to let her go and came to her aid.
Attending police were told by the victim that the man strangled her “hard” and thought he was going to kill her.
“He’d done it in the past but this is worse,” she said.
The court was told the man was found with a white tablet in a zip-lock plastic bag and a Swiss knife.
He denied choking the woman when questioned by police at the time.
Police had also charged the man, who grabbed and wrestled with his victim as she tried to leave his car on 3 April in Warneet. The fight left her with a bruised arm.
The man gave a no-comment police interview.
Defence lawyer Nadine Daniel told the court on 20 June that the man had been engaged to his ex-partner up until he relapsed into ice use in February.
Ms Daniel said the “remorseful” man had credited the victim for “saving his life” and helping him recover from heavy ice addiction two years ago.
The couple had been recently “working on the relationship”.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said the primary goal was to protect the victim’s safety as well as noting the “seriousness” of the offending and the man’s addiction issues.
The risk of a domestic homicide increased seven-fold when accompanied by strangulation, he said.
“The complainant is a kind person who helped you with drug addiction.
“She is the last person you’d want to turn on.
“If you don’t address (this) properly… the chances of her being a victim of homicide at your hands increases significantly.”
Mr Vandersteen took into account a lack of prior family violence reports, though noting the accused was non-compliant with court orders by driving disqualified in January.
The man received a community corrections order after agreeing to plead guilty to the charges.
