A DOMESTIC violence perpetrator who laughed at his partner and said, "look how scared you are" while intimidating her with a shortened shotgun has been sentenced to eight years and six months in prison.
The Mount Hutton man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, terrorised his girlfriend over a series of months as his drug use and violence escalated.
At Sydney's Downing Centre on Thursday, Judge Sharon Harris told the court the victim's statement had set out in "stark" point form the emotional, psychological, physical, economic and social harm the offender had caused her.
"The victim was in a relationship where she held little, if any power, and was vulnerable to the ongoing abuse by the offender," she said.
"It is a demonstration of the pervasive and long-term harm that is commonly the result of offences of domestic violence."
Police evidence shows the attacks took place over a period of six to seven months, shortly after the pair started dating in 2021.
When the violence first began to rear its ugly head, the victim never reported it to police because she loved him and thought he loved her, hoping the assaults would end.
Instead, he gave her a black eye on one occasion, made her sit on her hand in the driveway before kicking her in the head and stomping on her head on another and threatened her with a knife before cutting out a piece of her hair.
Days before the victim went to the police in November 2021, the 25-year-old offender hit her over the head with an ashtray because she refused to smash a memorial for her dog that died.
He told her to go into the bathroom and said, "where is my gun" while laughing and saying, "look how scared you are".
When he came into the bathroom with the shortened shotgun, the victim fell to her knees in fear, he then kicked her in the face and told her to have a shower to stop her nose bleeding.
In sentencing, Judge Harris heard the offender had been subjected to domestic violence in his childhood, reportedly being burned by his mother, pushed into a fire at six years old and stabbed with a butter knife.
"I am satisfied his upbringing has left a mark on him and likely compromised his capacity to mature and to learn from experience, and it led to the substantial and chronic addictions that fed directly into his history of criminal offending," she said.
The offender was given an aggregate sentence of eight years and six months with the possibility of parole in five years.
He will be eligible for release on February 9, 2027.
- Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14 or 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.
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