By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A DANDENONG man has told his partner “this is what happens in my country” as he assaulted her for not cooking dinner.
Mehmet Akyol, in his rage, allegedly struck his partner’s nose with the palm of his hand in September last year.
Later that night, Akyol was still unhappy that a meal hadn’t been cooked and put his hand to the victim’s throat.
The victim – who had moved in that day – was pushed over and struck her head.
She suffered facial bruising and headaches for days, a court was told on 21 September.
“This is what happens in my country,” Akyol allegedly told the victim.
“The woman cooks for the man and makes the man happy.”
Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard that during an altercation in November, the victim was dragged by her legs as she sat on steps, and then manhandled out of the front door.
Akyol kicked the left side of her back after she slipped on grass out the front of his house.
She called police, who found her in an “emotionally distressed” state and complaining of back pain.
In a police interview, Akyol denied the assaults, claiming the “aggressive and violent” partner harmed herself and had been “assaulting herself”.
In the early hours of 22 March, an apparently drunk Akyol called out “slut” as he stood outside the victim’s property, in breach of a full intervention order.
When she emerged from the house, he kicked her and punched her to the stomach.
Without visible injury, the victim showed police a chain of 35 text messages from Akyol in the past two days.
Akyol, who was arrested while hiding in his bathroom, told police he’d done nothing wrong and that the victim had been giving him trouble.
Defence lawyer Jeisa Javor tendered psychological evidence to show Akyol suffered memory difficulties – and a possible acquired brain injury – due to three car accidents.
She said her client didn’t initiate the stream of texts to the victim for two months prior to the most recent incident.
The accused believed his prior unlawful assault conviction involved a “family friend” not the partner, Ms Javor said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen sentenced Akyol to 161 days in custody – which had already been served in pre-sentence detention.
He took into account that Akyol’s parents continued to support him, and had available employment.
“You’ve been in custody for a significant period of time. People aren’t kept in custody forever.”
Mr Vandersteen remanded Akyol – who pleaded guilty – for a community corrections order assessment the next day.
He said the order would include a men’s behavioural change program.
“The language you used and the attitude to the complainant have to be addressed.”
