A former prison staffer has become an inmate after he he went on violent "spree" where he attacked his former girlfriend and ex-wife on the same night.
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Peter Dane, an ex-Community Corrections officer from Oak Flats, punched his ex-girlfriend in the face on the evening of December 5 last year after an argument between the pair over him wanting to rekindle their two-year relationship.
The 39-year-old then drove to his ex-wife's house in Albion Park, entered her home and repeatedly punched her in the head and pulled her hair, saying he was going to "destroy" her.
Dane was arrested outside his ex-brother-in-law's house near Campbelltown later that evening and charged with a host of offences.
He pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated enter dwelling with intent, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and armed with intent to commit an indictable offence in Wollongong Local Court in August, and he subsequently resigned from his job.
In Wollongong District Court on Friday, Judge Andrew Haesler sentenced Dane to a total of three years and three months' imprisonment.
He will be eligible for parole after one year and 10 months.
"Mr Dane has a lived experience of custody," Judge Haelser said.
"Any former law enforcement officer in custody will ... have a greater deal of hardship than would otherwise be the case."
Judge Haesler said if other inmates found out about his former job, than he could face harassment and may require protective custody, however he noted the seriousness of Dane's crimes warranted a full-time custodial sentence.
Judge Haesler took into account Dane's ex-wife's victim impact statement that she read to the court, where she explained how difficult it was for her to deal with the ongoing psychological trauma from the attack.
"There is nothing [she] did which caused or precipitated the violence inflicted on her," Judge Haesler said.
"There was a considerable degree of resentment felt by the offender towards his former wife.
"It needs to be stated, and restated, that it is never acceptable for anyone to commit offences of violence against a former partner."
Judge Haesler also took into account Dane's significant anxiety and depression at the time of the offences, and that he tried to treat the stresses in his life such as the relationship breakdown by seeing a psychologist, psychiatrist, and taking medication.
While on bail, Dane continued to seek mental health treatment and was "responding well".
Documents tendered to the court reveal Dane and his ex-girlfriend had been in a relationship for two years, which had ended in mid-November.
However, he contacted her just after 5pm on December 5 and the pair agreed to meet at her house, where they began drinking and talking about the breakdown of their relationship.
At one stage the victim suggested Dane stay the night on the couch due to the amount of alcohol he'd drunk.
Dane then took the victim by the arm, prompting her to pull away and tell him to "f--k off".
Dane then punched the woman in the face, fracturing her nose.
She grabbed Dane's car keys and threw them onto the front lawn then attempted to drag him out of the house, yelling at him to get out.
Dane told her "this is your fault" then said "aren't you going to ask me to stay" before eventually leaving the property.
He then drove to his ex-wife's house and banged on her front door.
She walked downstairs and the pair began yelling at each other, prompting Dane to pull the screen door from its frame and smash the stained glass panel in the side of the wooden door.
Dane then turned his attention to the victim's car, smashing her windscreen and both side mirrors before returning to the house and going inside.
He pulled his ex-wife's hair and punched her multiple times in the head, leaving her with a bleeding lip and bruising to her face.
She begged him to stop and tried to cover her face, but he continued assaulting her, saying he was going to make sure she "got nothing".
He left a short time later and drove to her brother's house in Rosemeadow. He was seen to exit his car carrying a six-inch alloy tyre wrench, which he put in his pocket as he walked up to the property's metal fence.
Police arrived at that moment and detained Dane.
When questioned, he said "that's my ex-wife's brother's house who had previously threatened me and I was gonna confront him".
"What were your plans with the tyre lever?" the police constable asked him.
"If I needed self defence," Dane replied.
"I was detouring here to confront him, because I knew I'm in enough shit as it is to confront him ... I know I'm wrong, I'm not denying that."
Dane was taken into custody on Friday afternoon after hugging his family. Once released, Dane will need to serve a one-year, five-month parole period.
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