A North Albury man who as a child witnessed his mother being bashed at home and who then became a domestic violence perpetrator himself has been jailed.
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Clinton Johnson was handed a two-year sentence for breaching an apprehended violence order - while he was affected by methamphetamine - that prohibited him making contact with his ex-partner.
This offence put him in breach of parole for a four-year jail term imposed on him in November, 2017, for domestic violence offences against the woman.
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Johnson, 32, was released on parole on May 1, 2019, with the order put in place a week later.
He breached this on August 24, landing him back in jail the following day.
Albury Local Court heard that Johnson had spent almost a third of his life behind bars.
The couple's intermittent relationship was plagued by his violence.
"It might be an on-off relationship, but when it's on again he's a very violent man," magistrate Richard Funston said.
"He's now received a number of jail sentences for domestic violence-related matters."
Johnson pleaded guilty to resisting police and to contravening an apprehended violence order.
But a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm was withdrawn after the complainant failed to attend court for a hearing.
Prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Coombs said police went to the woman's home on Friday morning, plus other addresses she was known to visit, but couldn't be found.
They spoke to relatives who believed she would indeed attend court, though police thought it now unlikely she would attend any future hearing.
Mr Funston said Johnson not only had a history of attacking the victim, "he also makes it extremely difficult for police to do their job" when trying to arrest him.
He said the message had to be made "loud and clear" that further order breaches would justify him "facing a very serious sentence".
"The courts over many years have imposed ... serious sentences on you to stop you being a very violent man. All I can do is impose on you the maximum term."
Defence lawyer Hermione Nicholls said Johnson had a significantly deprived childhood, as he began sniffing petrol at nine, witnessed his mother being bashed, was eventually put in the care of various relatives and within a few short years was using illicit drugs.
But Mr Funston said he could not find a case for special circumstances because "time and time again, that's going to be put to the court for Mr Johnson".
