Sentence relief for 'plain abusive' Illawarra man stabbed 17 times in prison

Ex-Finks MC associate Jacob Nyrhinen was on remand for domestic violence crimes when up to six inmates attacked him at Parklea Correctional Centre.

He was granted bail in the Supreme Court in February to attend a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, which he walked away from after only a few weeks.

On Wednesday the 36-year-old appeared at Wollongong District Court for sentencing.

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The court heard he had planted a secret listening device in his former partner's Mount Warrigal home and began to display threatening behaviour towards her - including text messages which read "you're dead" and "I'll beat you", late last year.

The woman thought it was a broken door bell resting on her entryway buffet until she saw its red light flashing and realised that Nyrhinen was listening in. He rang her on December 11 and accused her of speaking to another man, then spoke from the other side of the front door moments later, telling her, "open it or I'm going to kick it in".

He gained access to the house, ignorning the woman's pleas to "please leave, just go...I'm not lying, I've got no reason to lie to you". Nyrhinen then pushed the victim and struck her in the chin, causing her to fall to the ground. He telephoned one of her friends, asking her who his ex had been speaking to.

"I've been listening to her having conversations with people," he said.

The friend summoned help and Nyrhinen left. He returned the next day and forced open newly changed locks before he was arrested by police, who found 0.87grams of heroin on him.

In a statement considered by Judge Christopher O'Brien on Wednesday, the woman said she had felt "scared, worried and guarded" during her ordeal.

"[Nyrhinen] was erratic and the look on his face made me fearful and uncertain of what he would do," she said.

The court heard Nyrhinen suffered ongoing pain from a August 2017 motorcycle crash. He copped a beating in the aftermath from the damaged Harley Davidson's owner, Finks South Coast chapter president Troy Fornaciari.

Nyrhinen had been separated from his former partner for four years before he broke into her home and assaulted her.

Judge O'Brien noted it had taken "a considerable amount of force and determination" to break the woman's door locks, and said Nyrhinen's actions were "plain intimidating and abusive".

"Right-thinking members of the community properly regard violent conduct in a domestic setting as abhorrent and totally unacceptable," he said.

"The offender had commenced a new relationship. Just as he has moved on, so too is the victim entitled to do so."

In sentencing, the judge took into account Nyrhinen's limited criminal history - for driving matters - and accepted submissions from his legal team that his violent experience in prison would deter him from reoffending.

He was alone in his cell when up to six inmates surprised him with scissors and a vaccuum cleaner pipe. He lost consciousness in the attack and spent two days in Blacktown Hospital before undergoing further care in the jail clinic.

"[Further] custody would be more onerous, given the likelihood it would be served in protection [isolation]," the judge said.

Nyrhinen was convicted and sentenced to two years, one month imprisonment, with the sentence to be served by way of an intensive corrections orders. The judge took into account the almost six months Nyrhinen had spent in prison and in rehabilitation.

He must also comply with any treatment proposed by a treating psychologist and is subject to a two-year apprehended violence order that prevents him from going within 200 metres of his ex-partner's address and several places she frequents.

Outside court, Nyrhinen told the Mercury he was relieved by the sentence and would abide by the court orders.

"I definitely won't be going back [to prison]," he said.

"If I could change everything that happened, everything would be different."

He said the jail attack had happened quickly, after he had been warned to "watch his back".

He was left with superficial wounds to his head, legs, back, neck, arms and chest.

"It [the attack] was literally over people trying to stand over me for money," he told the Mercury. "It was more so because I kept to myself in there, I didn't mix in there with any groups, so they thought I was an easy target."

He said he was not involved with the notorious Finks MC club but had reconciled with Forniciari, who sports similar levels of facial tattoo ink.

"It is what it is," he said. "Forgive and forget."

Nyrhinen got his first tattoo on his arm at 18 and began working as a tattooist at 19. He said he had applied 90 per cent of his tattoos himself, with only his back and the backs of his legs ink-free because "I can't reach".

He acknowledged his appearance often caused a negative reaction, but said he only intended on getting more ink done.

"They say never judge a book by its cover, but everyone does," he said.