A WOMAN who was charged after burning her ex-partner's clothes during a fire danger period has been sentenced to a community corrections order.
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The 45-year-old woman appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Thursday where she pleaded guilty to charges including wilful damage.
The court heard about 2.30am on March 26 last year, the woman set her ex-partner's clothes on fire after she found out he was seeing another woman.
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Fire crews and police attended the small blaze. The woman told officers she set the clothes on fire to let out her frustrations. Her ex-partner did not file a complaint to police.
The court heard then on December 19, the woman's ex-partner was staying at a Bendigo motel.
He went to an Eaglehawk address that evening and returned the next morning to find his ex-partner in his room.
The court heard the woman was carrying an axe and became aggressive with him.
The man attempted to leave and the woman smashed items in the motel room. She also followed him outside and swung the axe at him.
The woman eventually left the scene before police arrived.
The court heard a short time later the woman went to the Eaglehawk address and yelled to be let inside.
When the occupant did not let her in, the woman smashed the right front window with a brick and entered.
The court heard she tried to get to her ex-partner who was also inside the property.
Police arrived and arrested the woman. She was brought to the Bendigo Police Station for questioning.
The court heard while at the police counter, the woman said officers might as well charge her for murder because she was going to kill her ex-partner.
The woman then provided no comment to officers during her police interview.
Defence lawyer Rebecca Healy told the court her client had a mental breakdown in the months leading up to the offending.
She said her client had been in abusive relationships, and had issues with alcohol and depression.
Ms Healy told the court her client had since made efforts to rehabilitate herself including seeing a counsellor.
The defence lawyer submitted a community corrections order with a focus on treatment and rehabilitation would be an appropriate sentence.
Magistrate Rodney Higgins agreed, sentencing the woman to a 12-month community corrections order with conviction.
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