A man narrowly escaped a lengthy prison sentence for his brutal attacks on a woman after a Magistrate requested him to promise to behave. Baiden Foley, an Australian man, admitted to six charges of extreme violence against his partner of three months at Kalgoorlie Magistrate’s Court. In April, he subjected his girlfriend to a series of violent assaults, including beating her with his fists and a metal broom, which he later used to stab her in the face. Foley pleaded guilty to six counts of aggravated violence, including unlawful wounding and assault causing bodily harm.

Despite the severity of his actions, Foley was released back into the community after promising the Magistrate to behave. The court heard that Foley accused his girlfriend of cheating on him, leading to violent beatings on two occasions in April. The first attack occurred in the morning, where he punched and beat her with a metal broom, causing welts on her body. Days later, he assaulted her again, using the broken broom to stab her in the face, resulting in severe injuries.

During the second attack, Foley also threatened his girlfriend with a serrated steak knife and made violent statements to his mother. Despite pleading guilty to multiple acts of violence, he was let go after promising not to misbehave. The Magistrate, Donna Webb, described Foley’s actions as “horrendous” and “deeply disturbing,” expressing concern about his escalating behavior despite a limited criminal record and his young age.

Following a plea from Foley’s lawyer, the court decided to place him on a 12-month community-based order instead of a jail term. Webb emphasized the seriousness of Foley’s domestic violence and instructed him to comply with the court order, which he agreed to. Foley’s six-month jail term was suspended for the entire period, and he was given a fine as part of the sentence.