A Tasmanian man has been declared a serial family violence perpetrator after assaulting his former wife in an incident that only ended when their teenage son stepped in.
Kurt Kerry Jackson, 44, was sentenced in the Supreme Court of Tasmania to 18 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to assault.
The court heard Jackson assaulted his ex-wife at her home on January 4 while their 15-year-old son watched on.
He grabbed her by the throat, threw her into a car, and repeatedly slammed the door on her limbs while making threats to kill her.
Justice Tamara Jago said the teenager was forced to physically pull his father away after his pleas for the violence to stop were ignored.
“The fact that your anger and violence was to the extent that you would not listen to your son and desist and he was forced to intervene, places your moral culpability at the highest of levels,” Justice Jago said.
The court heard Jackson had a lengthy history of violence, including a 2017 assault on the same victim in which he held a screwdriver to her chin.
Justice Jago said strangulation was particularly dangerous in family violence contexts.
“It is well understood that applying pressure to a person’s throat and neck area is fraught with risk. It can very quickly lead to serious injury and sometimes even death,” she said.
“And, when an individual had lost control, to the point you had, that risk is exacerbated.”
She said exposing children to family violence “almost inevitably” caused significant adverse impacts upon them.
Justice Jago described Jackson’s record of violent offending as “appalling” and said he had failed to meaningfully address his drug and alcohol issues.
“Family violence of this nature is simply unacceptable and cannot and should not be tolerated. It must be condemned and punished by the court,” she said.
Jackson will be eligible for parole after 12 months.
The serial family violence perpetrator declaration will remain in place for five years.
If you or someone you know is experiencing family violence, contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
