A 19-year-old Victorian man has been sentenced to four months in jail after abandoning his appeal, despite a desperate attempt to stay out of custody. The man, who cannot be named to protect his ex-girlfriend's identity, had 67 prior convictions for stalking and breaching intervention orders.
He was granted bail in August to attend his aunt's funeral in South Australia, but on Thursday in the Mildura County Court, he tearfully abandoned his appeal after being warned he could face a longer prison term. Judge Rosemary Carlin told him the court needed to send a message of deterrence for his 'serious offending'.
The man had pleaded guilty to common law assault, persistent breaches of a family violence order, and breaching bail. His offending included punching his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend in the eye when she would not let him look at her phone, and threatening her and her mother with a hammer.
The court heard the couple had recorded 17 family violence incidents since June 2023. In May, while on bail, the man contacted the girl via social media and climbed through her bedroom window to offer her methylamphetamine. The girl's mother found them in bed together the next morning.
Defence lawyer Sharon Kermath said the man was distressed about returning to jail, where he had faced issues due to his young age. Crown prosecutor David O'Doherty argued that despite the man's apparent change, his violent history was serious. The man hugged his family before being taken into custody.
