A 35-year-old Epenerra man has been handed a 32 month prison sentence for bashing the wife and mother of his five children.

Francis Corbett pleaded guilty to causing serious harm to his wife in the Alice Springs Supreme Court last week.

The court heard Corbett was in a jealous argument with his wife back in August 2020.

The couple were staying overnight with family in Tennant Creek for a shopping trip.

He was arrested on a minor charge resulting from the argument and taken to the local watch house where he was released with an infringement notice about 4am the next morning.

The victim moved with the children over to her cousins’ home for the night to avoid her husband and slept on the verandah outside of the house.

Around 6am, Corbett arrived at the cousin’s house and kicked and punched his wife while she was laying down with her one-year-old child.

The couple’s teenage daughter gathered the child and hid her in the yard with the other children.

Corbett continued to kick and punch his wife and jumped on her twice.

The vicious attack on the wife resulted in a broken wrist and injured right eye.

The attack was stopped when one of the cousins woke to the screaming and told Corbett to “go away and leave her alone.”

Corbett walked away however handed himself over to the Tennant Creek Police Station soon after where he was arrested and charged.

Justice Jenny Blokland said it was just another example of violent treatment of women in Tennant Creek.

In a victim impact statement made on the day of offending, the wife said she was “scared all night he would come and get her”.

In a later statement made in September, the wife said she felt bad Corbett was in trouble.

“She was scared about what you did, but she tells the court you are not a well man,” said Justice Blokland.

“She thinks you may have needed your medication at the time.

“She says you are usually a good man. The children miss you. She wants you to go home and stay at Epenarra, and maybe have someone keep an eye on you.”

Justice Blokland said the court is extremely wary of having too much regard to victim impact statements in which the victim supports the abuser.

“That is not to disrespect the victim, but the experience of the court is that abusers control victims by ongoing violence, or the threat of it.”

Corbett’s sentence will be suspended after serving 12 months and he was ordered to immediately enter BRADAAG rehabilitation program upon release.

This article appeared in the Tennant & District Times, 18 June 2021.