AN Avenue Range man will spend at least three years in jail for a slew of domestic violence charges, including an incident where he pointed a shotgun at his former partner and threatened to fire.
Leigh Geoffery Warne, 40, recently appeared in the Adelaide District Court for sentencing on seven domestic violence offences occurring during 2016 and 2017.
In sentencing, Judge Jo-Anne Deuter detailed the offences, including an occasion in 2016 when Warne stomped on the left side of the victim’s head while wearing hiking boots.
Judge Deuter told the court of another incident on Christmas Day 2016 when Warne delivered what the victim described as “a hiding” by pushing her onto the bed, smothering her and hitting her with his fists anywhere he could.
On February 4, 2017, the victim located a rifle on the front passenger seat of Warne’s vehicle, which she was driving after the defendant blocked her car to prevent her from leaving.
She took the weapon to her parents’ house, but it was subsequently handed in to police the next day.
The court heard on February 5, 2017 the victim returned to Avenue Range property with the intention of packing her things and leaving.
According to the victim’s evidence, Warne pointed a shotgun at close proximity to her face and threatened to shoot her.
After threatening her life, Warne dragged her into a bedroom, pushed her on the bed, smothered her and then jammed his fist into the victim’s mouth.
The victim bit Warne’s hand and he retaliated by picking up a metal curtain rod and whipped her with the bar.
Following the incident, police searched Warne’s car and found a live round of ammunition and a single coloured shell.
Further ammunition, including a .22 magazine and a box of .22 cartridges were found at Warne’s Avenue Range property.
In an interview with police, Warne denied possessing the rifle, as well as threatening the victim’s life and assaults.
But Judge Deuter said after reviewing evidence the victim gave at trial, she believed the offences did not occur in isolation and reduced the scope of leniency in sentencing.
She said the offences made it clear the victim had been subjected to an ongoing pattern of domestic violence for at least a year over the offending.
“Your behaviour in that regard is inexcusable,” she said.
“At times you chose to use weapons, including threatening the victim with a shotgun and whipping her with a metal rod.
“You always used the extremely frightening and dangerous practice of attempting to smother her.”
Judge Deuter said Warne, who had pleaded not guilty to the offences, had shown no remorse for his offending.
She acknowledged “aggression at times on the part of the victim”, but said Warne’s behaviour was vicious, cowardly and inexcusable.
A counsel submission on Warne’s drug use, particularly methamphetamine, was not accepted by Judge Deuter, who said the illicit use of substances had not been mentioned by any character witnesses and was an example “where the character witnesses cannot be relied on in their totality in the sentencing exercise”.
While expressing concern about Warne’s lack of remorse, Judge Deuter took his lack of previous offending and his “productive life in the community” into consideration.
The defendant was sentenced to five years and six months in jail for all of the offences, which was reduced to four years and nine months years due to time spent in custody and on home detention.
Judge Deuter imposed a non-parole period of three years and four months and ordered Warne to spend it in custody due to the seriousness of the crime.
