Gregory Neil Shar: Geraldton magistrate gives stern warning to DV offender following resentencing

A Geraldton magistrate has warned a young man who struck and tackled his pregnant partner to the pavement to not attack her or any female again, but did not send him to jail. Magistrate Matthew Walton told Gregory Neil Shar, 19, that his decision not to impose a prison term was marginal despite it being an “unequivocal act of domestic violence”. Shar appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Friday after breaching protective bail conditions and giving false personal details to police on Wednesday last week. The conditions were for his conviction relating to an aggravated unlawful assault causing bodily harm in October last year. In the retelling of the original facts, the victim, who was in a relationship with Shar over the past four to five years, was pregnant at the time when she had been struck and tackled to the pavement, resulting in the victim getting a split lip. The court was told Shar had a history of being a victim of domestic violence through his father, with defence lawyer Lauren Roycroft arguing his upbringing, his age, and his changing attitude since becoming a father should be taken into consideration in his resentencing. Mr Walton said he had difficulty considering the matter, and expressed Shar came close to a suspended prison sentence. However, he gave a stern warning to Shar in court, saying his ruling not to give him jail time was marginal. “If you were to come back before me for an assault on any female, you can expect a very different outcome,” Mr Walton said. He was resentenced to two eight-month intensive supervision orders, with community corrections incorporated into it. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732); 13YARN (13 92 76)