Sam Tupou was sentenced at Griffith Court House on Thursday (10 July). Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Griffith man Sam Tupou, 35, has been handed a 12-month prison sentence after pleading guilty to destroying or damaging property and breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO).
According to the agreed facts of the case, Mr Tupou smashed a rear window of his ex-girlfriend’s house with a wooden stick while she and her four children were at home on the evening of Saturday 24 May 2025. He did so after circling the house when the woman’s son noticed him at the rear step in the backyard of the residence.
At a court sentencing hearing on Thursday (10 July), his lawyer Olivia Harris conceded that the breaking of the window would have been terrifying for the children in the house.
“All domestic violence is serious and this is a serious case of DV,” Magistrate Pauline Wright said.
“The destruction of the window with a stick was a violent act … I note that Mr Tupou has a lengthy criminal history.”
Griffith police were quickly notified of the incident and found Mr Tupou nearby a short time later. Officers tried to stop him but he ran away from police, but they eventually caught and arrested him. He appeared intoxicated and threatened police after he was taken to the station.
Mr Tupou has been in custody since his arrest. He did not apply for bail and bail was not granted.
Court documents noted that Mr Tupou had been in a relationship with the victim for three months, but the pair had separated at the time of the incident.
It was noted that he was suffering from unresolved grief.
“The frustration and aggression kicked in and it became about me and my past,” he was quoted as saying in the sentencing assessment report.
He acknowledged the need to learn better ways to manage his emotions. He did not have a full-time job and was receiving a disability allowance due to literacy and learning difficulties.
At the time of the incident, Mr Tupou was on parole for another violent offence and the victim had an AVO out against him. His visit to her house and damage to the window breached his AVO conditions.
Magistrate Wright sentenced Mr Tupou to 12 months’ jail, which commenced at the time of his arrest on 24 May and will expire on 23 May 2026.
His sentence is subject to a non-parole period of six months, which will expire on 23 November 2025, at which time he will be able to apply for release.
Makes my blood boil... every community that has a domestic violence problem (or not) should be given… View