A man narrowly escaped a significant prison sentence for his brutal assaults on a woman after a Magistrate requested him to pledge to behave. Australian man Baiden Foley admitted to six counts of extreme violence against his three-month partner in Kalgoorlie Magistrate’s Court. In April, he carried out a series of violent attacks on his girlfriend, including using his fists and a metal broom. When the broom broke, he even stabbed her in the face with it. Foley later confessed to six aggravated violence charges, such as aggravated unlawful wounding and assault causing bodily harm. Despite the severity of his actions, he was released back into the community after promising the Magistrate to behave.
The court heard that Foley accused his girlfriend of cheating on him twice in April, leading to severe beatings. During the first incident on April 20, he punched her multiple times in the face and struck her with a metal broom. The violence only ceased when the police intervened, finding the woman with injuries all over her body.
Four days later, Foley returned for another round of abuse. He accused his girlfriend of infidelity again, ignored her pleas of innocence, and proceeded to beat her with the broken broom, causing a serious injury to her face. Despite the extreme violence and threats, he was released on the same day after promising not to misbehave again.
Magistrate Donna Webb described Foley’s attacks as “horrendous” and “deeply disturbing,” expressing concern over the escalation of his behavior despite his limited criminal record. She opted for a community-based order and a fine instead of a jail term, emphasizing the severity of the domestic violence displayed by the 18-year-old. Webb suspended his jail sentence for six months, imposed a 12-month community-based order, and issued a fine.
