A Warilla father attacked his heavily pregnant ex-partner with a baseball bat before he slammed another woman into a brick fence during a violent public assault on Monday night, a court has heard.
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Jason Roland Grooms allegedly leapt out of a moving car to confront the pair, striking one woman on the bottom with the wooden bat before he hit his seven-months-pregnant ex-girlfriend in the legs.
Police claim the 22-year-old then grabbed the other woman's head and pushed her into a fence, warning he was going to "slit her throat".
The brutal assault only ended when a witness dragged Grooms back into the car as he yelled "your day is coming" while the car drove away, Wollongong Local Court heard yesterday.
Opposing Grooms's bid for bail, prosecutor Sergeant Mark Rollestone said there were genuine concerns for the women's safety.
The pair were walking from Warilla Grove shopping centre about 9pm when they allegedly heard Grooms yelling, just moments before he jumped from the car.
Police claim he immediately started swinging the bat at his ex-partner, threatening to strike her stomach.
It is alleged the other woman was screaming for Grooms to stop when he ran towards her, grabbed her by the throat and struck her buttocks with the bat.
He then struck his former partner's legs, causing her to fall to the ground and hurt her ankle.
Grooms continued to hurl abuse as he grabbed the other woman and smashed her into the brick fence, the court heard.
He was heavily intoxicated when he was later arrested and charged with assault and contravening an AVO.
Matt Russoniello, solicitor acting for Grooms, said there would be a significant factual dispute as his client categorically denied using a baseball bat.
Mr Russoniello claimed Grooms's former partner had made allegations against him in the past and was prone to exaggeration.
He said his client had a significant alcohol issue but had a full-time job and had recently bought a house.
Magistrate Mark Shepherd refused Grooms's bail. He is set to reappear in court on January 22.