Adrian Oddo drew the ire of Magistrate Chris McRobert in Wollongong Local Court on Monday after the 19-year-old tried to diminish his responsibility for the assaults, blaming his mental health issues and poor upbringing for his behaviour.

The court heard Oddo slapped his then-partner across the face outside Wollongong Hospital at the beginning of last year.

The pair subsequently broke up and Oddo soon got together with another woman. They had been dating for five months when she fell pregnant. On the morning of November 30, the duo got into an argument, during which Oddo pushed the woman against a wall.

He then grabbed her around the neck and tried to choke her. The woman’s brother came to her aid and police were called.

Officers said Oddo appeared upset when arrested.

The court heard the pair reconciled a few days later, however police were called again a month later when Oddo broke the woman’s phone and pushed her to the ground during another argument.

In a letter penned to the court, Oddo sought a merciful sentence, claiming he had acted out of character.

“Your Honour, I’d like to start by saying I’m really not a violent person,” he wrote.

“I know the facts in front of you state that I am but truth has it that I really am a big-hearted young man that let [the] struggles of life get the better of him.

“I can place my hand on my heart and say that jail is not the place for me.”

Magistrate McRobert was far from impressed with Oddo’s words, describing them as “self-pitying”. 

“This is a young man who is persistently violent to his partners and seeks to excuse that by [citing] his difficult upbringing and mental health issues,” he said.

He sentenced Oddo to a minimum of 12 months jail. With time served, Oddo will be released to parole on January 6 next year. It is understood an appeal has been lodged.