Woman was locked in house and a knife held to her throat, police allege

He is charged with intentionally causing injury, recklessly causing injury by assaulting her, recklessly causing injury by discharging a knife at her, false imprisonment, unlawful destruction of property, unlawful assault, throwing a missile to injure a person, making a threat to kill, and committing an indictable offence while on bail.

Shepparton police Sergeant Cam McRae told the court the woman had recently reconnected with the man, a former friend from years ago, and had been visiting him at his house since Tuesday, March 28.

On Wednesday, March 29, the pair had been out drinking with another friend before the man “became paranoid” and went home, Sgt McRae said.

When the woman got back to the man’s house he locked the front door and “punched her repeatedly while straddling her on the floor”, Sgt McRae alleged.

The woman estimates he hit her more than 10 times, the officer said.

The man then allegedly threw a knife at the woman, which cut her on the thigh, before allegedly holding a knife to her throat for about five minutes and telling her “I’m going to stab you”, Sgt McRae said.

The court was told the accused also cut off some of the woman’s hair while she was lying on the ground.

The woman later managed to run out a back door to a neighbour’s house and call police.

Sgt McRae said the woman was hospitalised with significant facial injuries.

He said the victim was “scared and terrified” during the alleged attack and she had told police “from the moment he locked the door I thought he was doing to kill me”.

Sgt McRae described it as a “vicious assault” that had occurred while the man was on bail for drug-related offences and was also serving a community corrections order.

“Clearly alcohol is a massive issue for the accused,” Sgt McRae said.

The man’s solicitor, Ian Michaelson, said his client was well connected to his community and he argued that he had been making “sufficient progress” on his community corrections order.

He also argued that the magistrate could make a condition of bail that his client return clean drug and alcohol screens as a way of mitigating risk.

Mr Michaelson said his client had a pending psychiatric report that had been ordered by Corrections, and he told the court his client wanted to do drug and alcohol rehabilitation but did not have a place in a program.

While no official pleas to the charges have been entered, Mr Michaelson indicated his client would be pleading not guilty to some of the charges, including the false imprisonment one.

Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Brent O’Grady urged the magistrate not to grant bail.

“This is a serious example of this offence,” he said.

“She feared for her safety and life.”

Leading Sen Constable O’Grady said if found guilty, a substantial prison term was expected.

He also argued that the man was an unacceptable risk to the safety of a person and there was a fear he may contact the woman, or not appear on bail.

Magistrate Marita Altman refused bail, saying the police had a strong case.

“This was a sustained and violent assault by a man against a woman,” she said.

She also said the man had a “significant history of violent offending and breaching orders”.

“When his mental health is not well managed, and he uses drugs or drinks alcohol, he becomes violent, and that is not acceptable” Ms Altman said.

The man was remanded in custody and will next appear in court in late May.