Selwyn Pretorius was a fresh-faced 20-year-old when he first sang the lyrics to his hit song Way Love's Supposed to Be.
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It was 2002 and the South African born performer had been turning heads ever since his much-lauded appearance as a competitor on the Australian reality series Popstars 2 the previous year.
Sometimes I know we fight, sometimes things don't seem right; Isn't that the way love's supposed to be? he mused over and over again in a smooth, dulcet tone that perfectly echoed the R&B style of the time.
Fifteen years on, Pretorius is no longer singing for his supper; he now earns $2800 a fortnight driving a forklift in Sydney and, until recently, had been living at Shell Cove.
He has seemingly put any aspirations of a musical career behind him, however, in a fateful twist, Pretorius’ popular lyrics took on a new and darker meaning in recent times when it was revealed he had physically abused and intimidated his heavily pregnant partner, causing them to split.
The court case, which came to a head in Wollongong on Thursday, saw the now-34-year-old plead guilty to a host of charges including assault, intimidation and breaching an apprehended violence order.
Court documents reveal the couple was hosting a baby shower at their Shallows Drive home on January 22 this year when an argument occurred between their respective families.
This resulted in “friction” between the pair. The woman stayed elsewhere the following night in a bid to ease the strain between them, however their disagreement continued when they were back in each other’s company the next morning.
Tensions reached boiling point in the early hours of January 27 when Pretorius twice slapped the victim during an argument in their spare bedroom.
The woman got in her car parked in the garage and attempted to leave the premises however Pretorius wouldn’t allow her through the roller door.
She returned inside, at which time she got a phone call from her sister, who agreed to come and get her.
The woman waited for Pretorius to fall asleep then fled the house.
She reported the incident to police later that morning.
Pretorius was arrested and charged but released on police bail on the condition he not approach or contact his partner.
He breached the order within hours by sending the woman a text message saying he was sorry for what he’d done and loved her.
In court on Thursday, Magistrate Susan McGowan placed Pretorius on a 12-month good behaviour bond and finalised the apprehended violence order.