A Young man who bought his ex-partner flowers to apologise after tying her up and threatening to kill her in the bush will spend the rest of the year behind bars.
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Jason Anthony Rogers, 41, claims he cannot remember terrorising the woman twice within days in November 2011.
The ACT Supreme Court heard on Tuesday that Rogers met the woman in 2010 and moved in with her and her young son in mid-2011.
In November that year, the victim walked into the bedroom to find Rogers sitting on the bed with an aerial he had snapped off her car.
Rogers then bound the woman’s arms and stuffed clothing in her mouth.
He then slapped her, hit her with the car aerial and threatened to take her into the bush and kill her before lighting a match and holding it against her face.
Rogers later threw water on the woman, and ungagged and untied the woman.
He spent the rest of the night prowling the property with two knives.
The offender then bought the woman flowers and apologised, saying he was embarrassed about the incident.
She did not contact police as she feared he would harm her or her son.
Only days later, the woman awoke about 5am after Rogers began to slap her.
The woman’s son heard the commotion and walked into the room, but left after Rogers yelled at him.
The victim managed to escape and hid in a neighbour’s yard, only returning after seeing Rogers leave in his car.
She was about to leave with her son when the offender returned.
He parked behind her car to block her escape and slammed her into the vehicle.
The offender dragged her inside by her hair, kicking her and grabbing her by the throat.
At one point he put her under a running tap and slapped and threatened her.
The woman reported the abuse to police later that day and Rogers was arrested.
He pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful confinement, property damage, and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard Rogers had a long criminal history in NSW, with convictions for assault, domestic abuse and stalking.
He also had a history of mental illness, including psychosis months before the crimes, caused by amphetamine abuse.
In a victim impact statement, the victim said the abuse had destroyed the life she wanted for her and her son.
Justice Hilary Penfold sentenced Rogers to three years and two months jail, to be divided between full-time custody and periodic detention, with the remainder suspended.
The judge ordered Rogers serve until mid-December behind bars at Canberra jail.
He then will serve one year of the sentence in weekend detention, with the remaining 14 months suspended, upon entering a three year good behaviour order.
