Magistrate gives second chance to man who punched wife more than a dozen times during drunken assault

A man who punched his wife 17 times during an alcohol-fuelled rage in their Meadow Springs home has been spared a prison term, even though his own lawyer accepted one was warranted. The 40-year-old attacked his wife when a verbal argument escalated, punching her in the head until she fell backwards and then slamming her to the floor, where he continued to hit and kick her. The attack stopped when his wife screamed and called out for her children to call the police. The Meadow Springs man pleaded guilty to one count of common assault in circumstances of aggravation when he appeared in Rockingham Magistrates Court. Sen. Const. Jessica Anderson told that court that the man was lucky not to have been charged with something more serious. Lawyer Andrew William said the man’s alcohol use had reached a level where he had no recollection of the June 11 assault on his wife. “It’s accepted that the seriousness of the offending warrants a term of imprisonment and that a message needs to be sent to the community,” Mr William said. Magistrate Linda Keane said the man’s inability to look back at her was a clear indication of his shame and remorse. “Drinking alcohol to such an extent that you don’t even recall the offending is unacceptable,” she said. “When children are exposed to this sort of violence from an early age, they are more likely to become perpetrators or victims of family violence themselves later on in life. “This is something that you will carry for the rest of your life but one mistake does not determine your future and now it’s up to you.”. He received a spent conviction and was placed under a 12-month intensive supervision order. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)