Ethan William Lawless given stark warning by magistrate over drunken assault on ex-partner

A Rockingham man has been warned by a magistrate about his “appalling behavior” after an altercation with his former partner. Ethan William Lawless, 30, appeared before Rockingham Magistrates Court last Friday, pleading guilty to one count of common assault. Prosecutor Sen. Const. Gert Steenkamp told the court that on September 1, 2022, Lawless and his ex-partner had been consuming alcohol while at their home between 9am and 11pm. They became involved in a verbal argument around 3pm. While in the bathroom, Lawless became more aggressive and proceeded to hit the bathroom wall. The victim attempted to calm him down but this only angered him more. Lawless closed the door behind the victim and pushed her up against it. As he did this he threatened to “knock (her) out” and kept raising his fist towards her. He then pushed against her and the victim slapped him in the face. Lawless then went to the bedroom and a short time after the victim followed. She attempted to get past Lawless but tripped and fell over on to the bed. He then punched her stomach and there was a brief tussle between the pair. The victim sustained bruising to her wrists and discomfort to the stomach. Legal Aid lawyer Claudia Smilovitis said on the day of the offending Lawless “had a lot to drink”. “He went to the bathroom to get away from her and she had followed, which caused things to escalate,” she said. “He takes full responsibility for his behaviour and the relationship has since ended.” Magistrate Steven Malley said he found men “who hit their partners” particularly “appalling”. “It’s all about your behaviour; if you put this on video and showed someone, it would be appalling behaviour,” he said. “We all make mistakes but it is up to you to ensure this doesn’t happen again.” Lawless was fined $1500 plus costs of $137.