A REGISTERED sex offender has been jailed for almost two years for family violence offences and failing to tell police where he was living.
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Bendigo Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday morning that the 43-year-old disability pensioner had been added to the register for life in 2010 and was well aware he needed to keep police informed of his whereabouts.
Instead, he had moved house and bought a new car which he did not tell the police about.
The court was told that the man had been sexually abused as a child at the St Vincent's boys' home.
He had become homeless at age 13 and was taken into the state based institution.
Magistrate Ross Betts said he took into account the man's very difficult childhood but found his actions both "shocking and disgraceful".
The man admitted to continually breaching the court's family violence intervention order by hitting and pushing his girlfriend on numerous occasions in 2021 and 2022.
In one instance he had called the police and asked for help, falsely claiming that she had been self-inflicting injuries upon her face.
"This is very serious offending and you have a history of similar offences. It is shocking and disgraceful," Magistrate Betts said.
"This is a number of assaults on someone who should have been able to look to you for protection."
The court was told that on one occasion the man had been staying with the woman at a hotel and was captured on CCTV kicking a car parked out the front.
The woman tried to stop him and he pushed her to the ground and walked off. She sustained head injuries and witnesses called triple-0 and administered first aid.
"Family violence is far too common in our community and a blight on society. On average one woman per week is murdered by a previous to present partner. It is out of control.
"Every effort has been made by police, the courts and other stakeholders without a great deal of success. It calls for tough sentencing."
The man had pleaded guilty to 18 charges in total, which included driving at 118 kmph in a 100 kmph zone, without a license.
Magistrate Betts set a prison term of 21 months, with at least 14 months to be served as the non-parole period.
If you or someone you know is experiencing family and domestic violence, help is available, contact the Centre for Non-Violence: 1800 884 292
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