AN ICE addict who sent a slew of abusive text messages and called his partner a “f*******” has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
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Trent O’Dwyer, 35, pleaded guilty to breaching a good behaviour bond, intimidation and using a carriage service to menace and harass, at Armidale Local Court on Monday.
“You don’t have the right to be hurt and upset and when I see you I’m going to strangle you, your eyes are going to pop out of your f****** head,” O’Dwyer wrote to the victim on September 13, the court heard.
Magistrate Michael Holmes said O’Dwyer clearly used the language to assert control and dominance over the victim.
“The court is left speechless in relation to the manner in which you conducted yourself toward this woman,” Mr Holmes said.
“There is no doubt your actions caused severe anxiety attacks.
“Instead of using a term of endearment to her as one would expect, you also called her ‘deranged’, ‘stupid’, ‘slag’ and ‘prostitute’.”
The behaviour was followed by heavy ice use, when O’Dwyer was smoking the drug four to five times a day.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Cheryl Hall said the texts evidenced a very serious domestic violence offence.
“There is a very strong need to send Mr O’Dwyer a message that this behaviour is not accepted by the court or the community,” Sergeant Hall said.
“Domestic violence is not condoned. Time and time again your honour sees matters of domestic violence before you.
“There needs to be a message to the community that these types of crimes will not be condoned by the community any further.”
O’Dwyer was given a 25 per cent discount for his early guilty plea. For breaching his bond, he was convicted and sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with a nine-month non-parole period.
Convicted for intimidation and using a carriage service to menace and harrass, O’Dwyer was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with a nine-month non-parole period. All sentences are to be served concurrently, so he will be eligible for release in August 2018.
Magistrate Michael Holmes said domestic violence is an issue for the Armidale community.
“You can not keep going the way you are going or you are going to kill someone,” Mr Holmes said.