Lover’s tiff costs Lismore teen | Northern Rivers News | Local News in Northern Rivers

Ross Irby | 9th February 2010

IT WAS an overdose of love for an angry teenager who threatened to harm his girlfriend’s pet goose then smashed her dad’s car during a lover’s tiff.

The repentant youth remains barred from going to his girlfriend’s family home, despite escaping conviction in the Lismore Children’s Court yesterday.

The matter was described as being a case of overdose, with the young couple spending too much time together.

The Lismore teenager, aged 17, has paid his girlfriend’s dad $2500 to cover the damage done to the car following his angry rampage on January 9.

He pleaded guilty to recklessly destroying property.

Police facts state the pair began their argument in a Lismore shopping centre before ending up at her family home where he made threats to injure her pet goose.

He then punched the door panel of the car parked in the carport causing a dent before punching and denting the panel on the rear hatch door.

The angry teenager pushed his girlfriend out of the way as she tried to stop him damaging her dad’s car, then punched and damaged the driver’s side door.

He then lifted a chair above his head and smashed the rear window.

Defence barrister Eoin Johnston said it was clearly an emotive event and something his young client should not have done, but he had since apologised for his behaviour and paid damages.

“What led to an outburst of temper like that?” Magistrate Robyn Denes asked Mr Johnston.

“If he did it to car he could do it to her.”

Ms Denes said if he was going to have ‘a brain snap’ smashing up a car it was not a huge step to then harm her.

“It was over-exposure. They were seeing too much of each other, and continually texting each other,” Mr Johnston explained.

“They overdosed, seeing too much of each other.”

Ms Denes said she was troubled by the lack of insight on how the matter became as violent as it did.

“Whether or not he hit her is not the issue because he caused her fear,” Ms Denes said.

Mr Johnston said he knew his client from football and said that in a time of war, young men would be awarded for valour when they showed ‘spirit’.

“What he did was not valour,” Ms Denes said.

“It was cowardice.”

Mr Johnston asked the magistrate to take into account the teenager had never been in trouble before.

Ms Denes said it was unacceptable to threaten her goose and then trash the car.

She placed the teenager on a nine-month good behaviour bond without conviction.

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