Robert Wallace, 25, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates Court yesterday and pleaded guilty to charges of assault, property damage and breaching an intervention order.

Prosecuting, Senior Constable Mark Herman described a series of violent incidents between July and October last year where the victim was punched, slapped and verbally abused.

Senior Constable Herman said Wallace had twice tried to force his way into his former partner’s home with a crowbar, demanding cash or access to her car.

Wallace also pleaded guilty to using a stolen bank card to withdraw $900 from a Bendigo Bank branch at Strath Village on 

October 11 last year.

 The court heard of two separate driving offences.

Senior Constable Herman said Wallace was caught driving under the influence of amphetamine and cannabis on May 20 last year.

He said Wallace was caught driving again the next day when he did a burnout in front of an off-duty police officer.

Wallace had been disqualified from driving at the start of the month for a speeding infringement.

All but the driving offences breached a six-month suspended sentence.

The court heard Wallace’s repeated offending stemmed from a significant history of drug and alcohol abuse which led to “paranoia and a loss of control”.

Magistrate Richard Wright said he was concerned by Wallace’s frequent violent offending against women.

“Crimes of violence against women need to be denounced strongly by the courts,” he said.

Mr Wright counted the 99 days of Wallace’s pre-sentence detention as time served and reinstaed the six month suspended sentence.