Jake Thomas Miller sentenced for domestic violence offences; resisting police in Tamworth

Jake Thomas Miller was sentenced in Tamworth Local Court to 18 months behind bars for domestic violence offences against his sister and his mother, as well as for resisting police.

Magistrate Lisa Stapleton said the attacks against the two women were serious.

"How many times must it be made clear to Mr Miller that it is not on to terrorise your family because of your big physical presence," she said.

The court heard Miller had said he downed two 75ml bottles of spirits before heading to his sister's house in Tamworth to ask for a smoke on the night of September 10.

She told him she didn't have any and asked him to leave, but he refused to take no for an answer and became agitated.

When his sister became more forceful Miller punched her in the left side of her face, the court heard.

His mother drove up to the house as Miller went to leave and he punched her car's mirror, the court heard.

A sentencing report revealed he "felt angry" and "unsupported" at the time.

Police rushed to the scene and homed in on Miller a short time later.

Four police officers managed to restrain him and he was arrested, Ms Stapleton said, as she read the police document detailing what happened.

"The community wants to stamp out, and have a zero tolerance to, the terrorising of women in their own house," Ms Stapleton said.

"This is domestic violence of the worst type because it never goes away - everyone in the family must be on tenterhooks - is Jake going to come around? Is he going to break something?"

"It's not like that," Miller interjected as he appeared by video link from behind bars.

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Ms Stapleton heard sentencing submissions from Aboriginal Legal Service defence solicitor Henry Robinson, who detailed the traumatic background and experiences Miller had been exposed to.

Ms Stapleton said she acknowledged that when Miller was "sober" and was "not engaging in acts of domestic terrorism against family members" he worked in the Aboriginal space.

The court heard Miller had resist police matters on his record, including one he was resentenced for in court at the time after breaching the community based order he was handed earlier.

"You think he would have worked out by now that it's no part of [the police's] function to have to put up with that," Ms Stapleton said.

She told the court his history showed "again and again" that he could not be of good behaviour.

She questioned what confidence the court could have that he wouldn't continue to commit domestic violence against his mother, who had an AVO protecting her at the time he smashed her car mirror.

Ms Stapleton said Miller had to serve time behind bars for the offending, but found special circumstances in the case.

She sentenced him to nine months without parole. With time served, he will be eligible for release in June next year.

The sentence takes into account domestic violence-related charges of common assault; destroy or damage property; and contravene an AVO; as well as resist police. It also includes the resentencing for the earlier resisting police charge.

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