By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A NOBLE Park girl called emergency services in fear while her alcoholic mother allegedly threatened her father with a kitchen knife.
A court bail hearing on 5 October was told the 44-year-old applicant had repeatedly breached a full intervention order banning her from the house for previous threats and use of violence.
Police informant Constable Phillipe Latour told the court that the “highly erratic and emotionally charged” mother allegedly banged on the Noble Park house’s door on 4 October.
She told her ex-partner that she wanted to say goodbye to her daughters and dogs.
The children hid from their mother, who then allegedly took a knife from a kitchen drawer.
“You and your mum are going to cry like I cry,” she allegedly told the ex-partner.
“The kids will need foster care.”
Out of “significant fear”, one of the children dialled triple zero while the ex-partner grabbed the knife before the accused could unsheathe it, Const Latour said.
The accused left, and returned to the house later that day.
The court heard that she had gone to the house twice the previous day smelling of alcohol.
“The victim was very supportive of the applicant being in custody for the safety of himself and his children,” Const Latour said.
The “chronic alcoholic” was also barred from drinking alcohol at her own mother’s address under an interim intervention order, the informant said.
Defence lawyer Adrian Dessi, in arguing for his client’s release, said the accused had “very limited” prior brushes with the law, had never spent time in jail and would not “necessarily” face jail for her current offences.
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell noted the woman was not engaged in alcoholic treatment, and that alcohol played a role in her behaviour.
“The thing that concerns me is her daughter has to ring triple zero.
“You have a child calling police due to her fear of her mother’s behaviour.”
The mother was granted bail to live with her sister in Rushworth on the condition she was not to travel to Greater Dandenong except for court.
Const Latour said the family dynamics were too unstable, given previous verbal arguments between the sisters over ownership of the northern Victorian property.
“It could cause further family violence incidents.”
Ms O’Donnell said the risks to the victim were mitigated by the distance from Noble Park and the woman’s “complete lack of (criminal) history”.
