Anthony William Henry Kyanga sentenced after grabbing wheel and aiming for power pole in DV incident

A Geraldton man who twice grabbed the steering wheel from his partner — biting her in the process, and narrowly missing ploughing into a power pole — has been sentenced to a year-long intensive supervision order for what his lawyer says was a “stress-induced” episode. The incident happened on January 24 when Anthony William Henry Kyanga’s partner tried to leave their Beachlands home after an argument about household finances. Geraldton Magistrate’s Court was told on Thursday Kyanga followed his partner outside, threatening to throw himself in front of the vehicle, and got in the passenger’s seat when she left. During the drive, police say he twice took control of the steering wheel, once directing the vehicle towards a power pole — which it narrowly missed. He bit her during the incident and bent her thumb back trying to take the car key from her, leading to assault charges. The 31-year-old was arrested at the scene and charged by police with endangering the life, health or safety of a person, three counts of assault, and criminal damage for breaking her car key in the ignition. Kyanga was in court on Thursday to be sentenced on the five charges after pleading guilty on March 25. His lawyer told the court the incident was “stress-induced” and his memory of the incident was blurred. “Since this he’s taken active steps to address his mental health, including counselling,” he said. “He’s shown a keen motivation to resolve his issues and provide a stable household for his kids.” Sentencing Kyanga, Magistrate Chris Miocevich said he accepted he had genuine remorse for his actions that day. “I’m fairly confident I’m not going to see you back here again,” he said. “But we’re going to make sure you get some help.” Kyanga was sentenced to a 12-month intensive supervision order with programs to attend and supervision from Adult Community Corrections.