A Shellharbour man who entered his ex-partner's home and unleashed a verbal tirade against her and a male friend has narrowly avoided time behind bars.
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Ty Wesley Webber, 47, was sentenced at Wollongong District Court on Monday.
He previously pleaded guilty to aggravated enter a dwelling while knowing someone is there, intimidation while intending to cause fear of physical or mental harm, and contravening an apprehended violence order.
The court heard the victim was watching movies in her home with a male friend in May last year before hearing a noise and finding Webber sitting in a chair on her veranda.
The court heard Webber - who was prohibited from approaching the woman by way of a court order - then stood up, went to the door and verbally abused her and the man.
He called the woman names and said "you have no idea how much control I have" before he opened the sliding door with such force it came off its track and broke.
Webber then entered the home and continued hurling further abusive language at the victim before standing between her and the man.
The woman called triple-0 and asked Webber to leave, reminding him "we're not together, I'm not in a relationship with you". He was arrested two days later.
Judge Andrew Haesler told the court Webber's "controlling" and "jealous" behaviour constituted serious domestic violence.
"It has to be understood that violence can take many forms ... many people think solely in terms of physical assault," Judge Haesler said.
"It was not up to (Webber) to check who (the victim) was seeing, to control who she was seeing, or abuse her.
"The offences occurred in the home. They were unwanted."
Judge Haesler noted Webber was on bail at the time of the offending and took into account his early guilty pleas, time already served in custody, and his background set out in a psychologist report.
Webber was handed a one-year and six-month intensive correction order, akin to a jail sentence served in the community, with conditions that he accept referral to the Illawarra Drug and Alcohol Service or other treatment programs.
He must also complete 75 hours of unpaid community service work and comply with a two-year apprehended violence order to protect the victim.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
