A teenager who assaulted his ex-partner after she said she wished he wasn't their child's father has beaten a claim he punched the then-17-year-old.
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While finding evidence given by the victim, 18, and a girlfriend, 17, was truthful, an Albury magistrate said enough doubt existed as to whether he punched or pushed.
Nevertheless, Michael Antrum was scathing of the offender's actions.
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"Your record is starting to look a bit ordinary now," he told the 19-year-old, who cannot be named.
"This is not how gentlemen act. You are always going to have a relationship with the mum so you can't engage in that conduct.
"It's time to say grow up and take your responsibilities seriously.
"Certainly you don't do that to a woman and you certainly don't do it to the mother of your child."
The North Albury teen previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of common assault, with a hearing on Monday to contest the facts.
Defence lawyer Angus Lingham said his client immediately admitted to police he pushed his ex-partner on March 26 about 8.30pm.
Prosecutor Sergeant Kayla Borchert said the slight inconsistencies in the evidence from the victim and her friend, who stayed in the car, was telling as it indicated there was no collusion between them.
But Mr Lingham said the inconsistencies did the opposite, showing there was sufficient doubt as to whether the punch took place.
Mr Lingham said the victim's evidence that the alleged punch was delivered to her nose with a "fair" degree of force was questionable given she suffered no obvious injuries.
The victim and her friend had been at an 18th birthday party when they went to her ex-partner's home to collect the six-month-old son.
The offender had contacted the victim to let her know he couldn't get the baby to sleep.
Soon afterwards, he texted her to say that the boy had managed to do so but by then she had arrived.
They argued outside the house, she told him of her wish about him not being the father and he committed the assault.
The victim said the punch threw her back into the driver's seat.
Her friend though said the car's doors and windows were not opened and the assault, with a clear punch, happened in front of the car.
The victim assumed it was a punch from the impact but "it all happened so fast I didn't see".
The offender was convicted and fined $880.
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