Border footballer Jarrah Maksymow's "terrifying" behaviour towards his former partner has landed him an 18-month jail term.
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Maksymow breached an apprehended violence order for phoning her with a threat of murder if she called police.
A week later he turned up at her Springdale Heights home and let himself in to put up a Christmas tree with their five-year-old son.
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She fled the house in fear and sheltered in her car, from where she called her mother.
When her mother told Maksymow to leave, he replied: "None of your business, it's got nothing to do with you ya gronk. Nothing comes between me and my family."
Defence lawyer Jack Murray urged Albury Local Court magistrate Richard Funston to release Maksymow, who has been in jail bail refused since early December, on an intensive corrections order.
But this was vigorously opposed by police prosecutor Sergeant Nicole Peacock, who said full-time custody was the only option for such a recidivist domestic violence offender.
"Paramount is the psychological and mental fear that this victim, this complainant feels as a result of this offender," she said.
Mr Murray said Maksymow wanted to be a strong father figure, "which he didn't have himself".
He said Maksymow, supported in court by his new partner, was still a young man who ran the real risk of being institutionalised.
But Mr Funston said Maksymow's repeat offending meant a two-year, full-time spell behind bars was his starting point for an appropriate sentence, especially given the degree of intimidation involved.
"The idea of having a new partner doesn't give me any comfort. The fact is he's got a serious history of domestic violence," he said.
"How many times does he have to be told that he can't be harassing and assaulting the previous partner?
"I mean, seriously. It would have been absolutely terrifying for the victim."
Maksymow, 28, pleaded guilty to two charges of contravention of an apprehended violence order.
The first related to Maksymow phoning her at work on November 27 about 10.30am to talk about their son, only to begin "yelling and ranting".
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He then said he'd come see her, but she threatened to call the police if he did.
"If you call the police I'll murder you," he said.
She hung up and so for the next 15 minutes he sent text messages including: "This is why I go crazy ... your (sic) gonna get it."
Mr Funston imposed a nine-month non-parole period, making Maksymow eligible for release on August 31.
Maksymow has pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which will go to a hearing.
Mr Funston told Maksymow, who was on a community corrections order at the time, he had been given "numerous chances".
"You have done the same thing again," he said.
The offending was aggravated, he said, by taking place in front of his son, "who I'm sure you love very much".
"You do have to have serious counselling for this domestic violence offending."