An "absolutely terrifying" assault in which a Glenroy man barged into the home of his ex-partner and savagely punched her new boyfriend has landed him a jail term.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
At one point the 32-year-old grabbed his older, five-year-old daughter out of bed and while holding her in one arm, shoved her mother with the other.
But if not for his early guilty pleas and lack of priors for violence, Joseph Patrick Ryan would have been leaving court escorted by Corrective Services officers to a prison cell, magistrate Richard Funston said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
He handed Ryan a 12-month intensive corrections order in Albury Local Court on Wednesday on charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and remaining in a building with the intent of committing an indictable offence.
"You will be entering into a jail sentence, but it will be in the community," Mr Funston said.
"See it like a suspended prison sentence; it is that serious for you."
Defence lawyer Mark Cronin said it was accepted the two victims should have been "safe in their home".
Mr Cronin pointed out that Ryan had responded appropriately when he sent a text saying "thanks" to a courtesy text from the victim in which she said she was now dating someone, but then went "storming into their bedroom".
Ryan's nine-year relationship ended 18 months before the events of June 18, 2019.
Twenty-five minutes after the text, the woman and her boyfriend were in bed watching TV when they heard loud banging at the front door.
She got up and opened the door to Ryan, who told her "get f ... ed, get out of the way" before going to the bedroom and punching the other man four times to the face.
The woman tried to get in between her boyfriend and Ryan, who punched the man another two times to the head before leaving the room, retrieving his older daughter and driving off.
Mr Funston said Ryan's glowing references and positive sentence assessment report were in stark contrast to the police outline of his "jealousy" and "rage".
"There's two separate lives going on here," he said, urging Ryan to do something about getting off alcohol.
