A BENDIGO man who assaulted his daughter for throwing a party while he was away from home for work has been ordered to make a $1500 donation to the Salvation Army.
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The court was told the man wanted to avoid a conviction so he could travel abroad to get married. He was successful, and was instead placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
The man in his 50s pleaded guilty to assault charges in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Chris Jones said the man arrived home in early January after spending several days away for work.
He started an argument with his daughter, whom he believed had thrown a party in his absence.
The argument became physical, and the man slapped his daughter to the face, grabbed her by her hair and dragged her to the hallway, where he struck her to the head and pushed her head into the floor twice.
He then trapped her on the floor using his knees, before she escaped to the bathroom. He threw a Nintendo 64 across the room and attacked his daughter again, this time throwing her across the bathroom.
The daughter went to a nearby house and was taken to police to make a report.
She suffered minor grazes, bruises and cuts from the attack.
The court heard the father and daughter had lived together for two months, after he had taken her in when she became homeless.
While away for work, the man received a text message from his next door neighbour which began: “Sorry, a big grizzle coming your way”.
The text outlined “loud and relentless” music coming from the house for the entire night. “It was beyond tolerable, the house was lit up like a Christmas tree,” the text read. The neighbour had failed to sleep.
A spa bath at the rear of the house had also been left switched on the highest setting for the night, while the man’s preserved malt whiskey had been drained.
The daughter told him to “f--- off” when he read out the text message.
The court was told the man wanted to avoid a conviction so he could get married, and held his relationship with his neighbours in high regard.
Magistrate Bruce Cottrell said it was a serious assault.
“It’s one thing to be involved in a physical assault, it’s entirely different when that emanates from a man against a woman in the family home, where there is clear physical dominance,” he said.
“It was precipitated by extreme anger.”
Mr Cottrell said the assault was “out of character” for the man.
He was placed on a 12 month good behavior bond and ordered to make a $1500 donation to the Salvation Army.