A man who kicked and stomped his helpless wife's head, leaving blood across their kitchen floor, was himself the victim of family violence as a child, a court has heard.
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The offender, 35, attacked his partner while their two young children were home, and would later tell a report author he should never have exposed them to the behaviour he had hated as a kid.
The ordeal began after the man, an alcoholic, came home drunk and kicked his dog, prompting an argument.
He punched his wife in the gut, and their argument later reignited when she made a remark about his childhood experience with domestic violence.
The man repeatedly kicked her in the face and used his heel to stomp on her head.
She was left with a bloody nose and a deep laceration to her forehead that would require seven stitches.
When police arrived, they found her with blood on her head, face, and upper body. Blood had also been sprayed onto the kitchen floor.
The court heard the man told the officers:
"I just lost it at the missus."
The offender was significantly larger than his wife, the court was told , and was wearing heavy boots.
Police tried to arrest him but he became aggressive, spitting at them and struggling before being handcuffed.
The man, represented by lawyer James Maher, was sentenced to nine months' weekend detention in the ACT Supreme Court on Thursday.
Justice John Burns told him his wife had been helpless and that the presence of his children was an aggravating factor.
"Your conduct was cowardly, shameful and rightly characterised as criminal," he said.
Justice Burns said the impact on the man's family had been significant.
"As is so often the case in domestic violence offences, the long-term effect of your offences will be felt not only by your wife, but also by your children," he said.
The man's mental health had been of significant concern, the court heard.
He suffered a complex form of post-traumatic stress disorder, and had experienced depression and suicidal ideations.
The man had accepted responsibility for his actions, despite saying he couldn't remember them well, and expressed remorse.
Justice Burns found his mental health problems lowered his moral culpability, and impaired his ability to make calm, rational choices.
They also reduced his ability to give attention to the wrongfulness of his behaviour.
The court also accepted a psychiatrist's finding that full-time custody would further damage his mental health.
The man was also sentenced for breaching a domestic violence order against his wife after the attack.
He has already served time behind bars, and was fined $600, and put on an 18 month good behaviour order.
