A Gerogery man who reversed over and seriously injured his ex-partner at her Albury home after the pair argued has escaped full-time custody.
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Magistrate Rodney Brender told James William Phegan on Friday that the crime was so serious that the threshold for jail definitely had been crossed.
But because he had already spent 90 days in residential rehabilitation over his illicit drug issues, he would serve his sentence in the community by way of a nine-month intensive corrections order.
Phegan, 30, was convicted of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm after contesting the charge at a hearing.
Mr Brender said that while the father-of-two had a good prospect of rehabilitation, he had not necessarily shown remorse or insight into his offending given he never pleaded guilty.
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He said it was clearly "very dangerous" of Phegan to reverse as he did "knowing she was there. You effectively drove over her, causing serious injuries."
The victim, then 27, was flown to a Melbourne hospital with a lacerated liver, a compound ankle fracture and a fractured pelvis.
Phegan assaulted his ex-partner on May 7, 2018, after they began arguing on the back verandah, by pushing her over and holding her down.
He returned to his car, which was parked in a shed, as the victim ran through a side gate.
"The accused has accelerated the vehicle, reversing through the roller door, causing it to be removed from its mount, at which point it collided with (the victim) as she had just finished closing the door," police said.
Phegan hit the victim, reversed over her torso then fled.
Police arrested him the next day as he drove his mother's car along Urana Road, Lavington, in possession of two grams of cannabis.
He pleaded guilty to the assault and on Friday was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order, plus a $200 fine for possessing cannabis.
Phegan was put on an identical 12-month order after pleading guilty to the headbutt assault of his father.
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