Attack on former wife

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 4

Attack on former wife

Because his former wife refused him access to their four children a man broke down the rear door with a small axe and dragged his wife, at times by her hair, to his car "for a talk.” said Sergeant M. P. Caldwell in the District Court, yesterday.

Appearing before Judge Fogarty was Garj' William McQuilla-, aged” 26. a painter.

He pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, breaking into a house, breaking a non-molestation order, assaulting his former wife, and threatening to do her grievous bodily harm.

McQuillan, who did not seek legal representation, was convicted on each of the charges. He was remanded in custody to November 3 for a probation report and sentence.

Sergeant Caldwell said on the early evening of October 26 the defendant telephoned his former wife, from whom he was legally divorced in November 1981, to see if he could have access to the

couples four children. After being refused. McQuillan drove to a park, near where his former wife lived. He went to the house carrying a small axe which he used to break down the rear door.

Inside the house McQuillan made several threats of using the axe on his wife. He then dragged her out of the house through the broken back door.

The complainant held on to this door but cut her hand which later required six stitches, said Sergeant Caldwell. One of the children managed to run outside the house to neighbours next door. McQuillan manhandled his wife over a fence and dragged her by the hair to his car. As the defendant was moving to locate his car keys his wife broke away and ran to a group of people who had appeared at the park. McQuillan made several verbal threats and waved the axe at his wife.

When arrested he told the

police he had no intention of using the axe on his former wife.

He said he took her to the car because he just wanted to talk to her as he knew if he remained in the house the police would soon arrive. Sergeant Caldwell said a non-molestation order in favour of the wife had been- in effect since August, 1979. McQuillan was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for three years in August, last year. $5OO fine An elderly couple awakened in the early hours of the morning to the sound of smashing glass and bad language resulted in the Court appearance of a man, aged 21. Brent Tregoning. a yard man (Mr D. J. Taffs) admitted a charge of intentionally damaging three plate glass windows at the house of the complainants and with intentionally obstructing a police officer.

The offences took place on October 10. He was convicted and

fined $3OO on the intentional damage charge, $2OO on the obstruction charge, and was ordered to pay compensation of $3O in respect of the broken windows.

Sergeant G. C. Jones said that the defendant had gone round to the house in the early hours of the morning. He had smashed two windows at the front and had thrown a beer bottle through a rear window. The defendant’s associates had tried to restrain him and when the police arrived he had continued to struggle and had to be handcuffed.

Tregoning asserted he had gone to settle a score with the son of the complainants who, he said, had reneged on a car purchase arrangement made with him.

The elderly complainants, both in their sixties, who are on medication for heart disorders, were considerably shocked by the incident, said Sergeant Jones.

Mr Taffs said his client now regretted his action. The disagreement over the car had since been resolved and

Tregoning had made attempts to ascertain the damage with a view to paying compensation. ARSON CHARGE

A woman. aged 41. charged with wilfully setting fire to a house in’Burdale Street on June 6 was remanded at large to November 3.

No plea was entered by the woman, a solo parent, w-ho was granted interim suppression of her name. Applying for suppression the duty solicitor (Mr W. Rosenberg) said it was an “unusual” case and that the defendant had reported the matter to the police voluntarily. INDECENCY CHARGE

A youth, aged 18. alleged to have wilfully done an indecent act at Queen Elizabeth II Park was remanded to November 3.

No plea was entered by the defendant, a shop assistant, who on the application of counsel (Mr B. J. Stringer), was granted interim suppression of his name.