A disgraced reality TV star has learnt his fate for assaulting his ex-partner and threatening to kill her pet rabbits after a court found him guilty of the attacks late last year.
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Samuel Christopher Messina, who appeared on the TV dating show Farmer Wants a Wife and now works as a truck driver, faced Port Kembla Local Court on Monday.
The 27-year-old pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm against his then-partner in 2020.
However Magistrate Michael Ong handed down guilty verdicts to all three counts after a hearing in November last year.
The first assault occurred in March 2020 when the pair were arguing, before Messina pushed the bedroom door onto the woman's foot, causing pain.
Later in July that year, he grabbed hold of the woman by her clothing before throwing her to the floor and leaving her with scratches to her chest. That month, he also punched her in the nose, causing bleeding a bruising.
In each case, the woman documented the attacks with photos of her injuries immediately after they happened, the court heard last year.
She built up the courage to report the attacks to police the following year and around this time, Messina continued his aggressive behaviour.
On 26 February, 2021 Messina entered his ex-partner's property and threatened to kill her pet rabbits. He took the rabbits before threatening to sell and then kill them.
Messina later returned the pets and pleaded guilty to one count each of unlawful entry and intimidation in April last year.
In court on Monday, defence lawyer Mathew Lowry argued Messina had no criminal record before these offences and that according to a report, he was at low-risk of re-offending.
Mr Lowry added Messina, who recently obtained his real estate agent licence, was "very remorseful and embarrassed".
However Magistrate Michael Ong said it "caused some concern" that he did not accept he committed the assaults.
"It seems to me there is very little acceptance on your part of the conduct before the court," Magistrate Ong said.
"This affects my assessment of your re-offending."
Magistrate Ong added domestic violence was of "significant concern" to the community.
"People remain in domestic relationships when there is violence and controlling behaviour ... this causes the victim to not report straightaway," he said.
Messina was spared jail and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order (a form of good behaviour bond).
He was also fined $350 for unlawfully entering the woman's property and ordered to perform 150 hours of unpaid community service work.
A conviction appeal has been filed and is listed for next month at Wollongong District Court.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
