A Bourke man who smashed into a home and threatened to kill his ex-partner with a knife in a violent attack will remain behind bars.
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The incident began at about 7pm on June 20 last year, when Mark McKellar, 50, attended a home in Bourke and knocked on the door looking for his ex-partner.
A woman answered the door and asked him to leave, when McKellar refused. His ex-partner came to the door and told him to "f--k off" and she was calling police, before closing the door on him.
As an immediate response, McKellar pushed the window dislodging the fly screen, and entered the house advancing toward his ex-partner.
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According to agreed facts, McKellar punched and kicked the woman, before pulling her by the hair and dragging her around the living room. During the attack McKellar reached into her mouth and ripped the corner of it, causing significant injury.
McKellar dragged her out to the back of the house, but the laundry door was locked. He then dragged her back into the kitchen when he grabbed a long kitchen knife and held it to the woman's neck forcing her toward the living room, while telling her he was going to kill her.
The other woman at the home contacted police.
The victim managed to escape, when McKellar told her to get on a push bike. She ran and got into a car with a person she knew.
The woman went straight to the Bourke Police Station, and McKellar left on his push bike.
The woman received treatment for her wounds, before she was flown to Dubbo hospital for facial surgery on her left cheek.
Two days later, McKellar attended the police station when he was placed under arrest. McKellar denied assaulting his ex-partner and told police he was sleeping at his father's house, and was later riding his push bike to a party nearby.
McKellar pleaded guilty to one count of break and entering into a house and committing a serious indictable offence, namely reckless wounding, knowing there were people present, in Bourke Local Court in March this year. It was later committed to the Dubbo District Court for sentencing.
The Dubbo District Court heard in a psychological report that McKellar had a long history of drug addiction, and had found it challenging to remain abstinent.
The court heard he had been on ice for three days before the offence and had not slept.
Judge Nanette Williams said the report explored his history of drug use, which reflected an extremely high psychological dependence on ice, but said McKellar also had a "high readiness" to change his behaviour.
"His primary drug of concern is ice, which he reported to using three to four times a week in the lead up to the offending," the Judge read out.
"He also reported to consuming antidepressants and Valium."
"He said he had been abstinent for 10 months [since in custody]."
The court heard a number of subjective factors, including that McKellar had suffered from a serious accident in 2007, where he was hit by a car when he was on the sidewalk. This caused chronic back, leg and arm pain and was later diagnosed with PTSD due to the incident.
Ultimately Judge Williams said however it was a "sustained and brutal attack" on the woman and he had held a knife to the woman's neck and threatened her to death.
She said while McKellar's criminal history didn't support him, she took into consideration his early plea of guilt, time served in custody, and evidence of remorse.
"Clearly there was no planning, it was an opportunistic response to set of circumstances he found himself in, and he has good prospects of rehabilitation," Judge Williams said.
"I'm of the view that the offenders drug use is well entrenched, and has a close connections with his mental health issues.
"I'm of the view he needs long term assistance to address his drug use, which may even require a term of residential rehabilitation when he's released into the community.
She agreed McKellar was in a "fortunate position" to have the support of his father and other family members, and he would need support for his reintegration into the community, which would be assisted with more time on parole.
With a finding of special circumstances, McKellar was sentenced to four years and six months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of two years and nine months.
He will be eligible for release in March 2023.