Jail warning for Geraldton convicted domestic violence offender

A Geraldton Magistrate has sent a strong message to a domestic violence offender, telling him if he assaulted any future partners he would go straight to jail. Ethan Lockyer, 23, changed his plea to the charge of unlawfully assault occasioning bodily harm to guilty in Geraldton Magistrates Court last Thursday. Police said in an incident captured on CCTV Lockyer assaulted his then partner when she left their vehicle, which was travelling on North West Coastal Highway in Spalding on September 20 last year, punching her multiple times in the face and “swinging” her by her hair. His defence lawyer said while Lockyer disputed the amount of times he punched his ex-partner and that he instead dragged her back to the car by the hair, he accepted he had issues with “coercive control” and that’s why the relationship was over. She said he was willing to attend counselling when he returned to live in Geraldton if he was released and allowed to attend important cultural lore business in the Pilbara. Appearing from Greenough Regional Prison, Lockyer’s hearing was scheduled to vacate the trail date due to his change of plea. He had previously plead guilty on three separate court dates over the last six months to two counts of breaching a conditional release order in Burringurrah on April 30 last year, a breach of bail in Geraldton on September 7, another in Carnarvon on September 27, a breach of protective bail conditions in Brockman and on March 25 and to obstructing police officers on the same occasion. Magistrate Chris Miocevich said while Lockyer’s record of domestic violence and the recent offences were “so serious” they warranted his imprisonment, his sentence took into account the over six months Lockyer had spent in prison. “This most recent assault was your most serious. I’ve seen footage...in relation to dispute of facts in my eyes it doesn’t make difference, whether it’s one punch or two,” he said. Lockyer interrupted Mr Miocevich’s sentencing remarks to say he was no longer in a relationship with the victim. “If you assault your partner, expect to go to jail,” Mr Miocevich replied. He was fined a total of $1,900 and given no reporting conditions or community based orders upon his release. “This allows you to go and attend lore business...I hope after you’ve done that I don’t see you back here again,” Mr Miocevich said.