Current Trial Rachel Baker - A warning to take threats of violence seriously

[Kurve]

AVO's that allow the parties to live together and threats to "cave your head in" that can't afford to be ignored. If someone threatens you with violence expect they may actually follow through.

A woman allegedly bashed to death by her boyfriend in a Sydney apartment block was living in fear of him and his threats to "cave" her head in, a jury has heard.

Onitolosi Etuini Atiai Latu, 30, is on trial in NSW's Supreme Court after pleading not guilty to murdering Rhonda Baker, who died in Liverpool Hospital on August 7, 2016.

In his opening address on Wednesday, crown prosecutor Guy Newton said the 26-year-old suffered facial fractures and a brain bleed "that ultimately caused her to die".

There was an AVO in place at the time but it allowed the pair to live together, Mr Newton said.

He said the "on-again, off-again" couple exchanged emails about three weeks before the alleged murder in which Latu allegedly expressed he was "not happy" with Ms Baker over past incidents he "regards as infidelity".

Ms Baker allegedly wrote: "I'm trying to do the best I can right now for us and this relationship but it's hard, especially when you're going off at me and making threats.

"I can't keep living in fear like this every time something happens."
She asked "wouldn't you be in fear too?" over threats he allegedly made such as "I'm going to cave your head in".

The prosecutor said the relationship "had reached boiling point" in terms of Latu's anger towards his girlfriend.

The jury will be played a triple-zero call made by Latu at 4.24am in which he was instructed to administer CPR.

He allegedly told a paramedic, who saw Ms Baker on the hallway floor with facial bruises and pink fluid frothing from her mouth, "I came home to find her like this ... while I was asking her what happened, she had a seizure".

Latu gave four "completely and utterly contradictory" versions of his whereabouts that night, Mr Newton said.

He was only wearing underwear and allegedly told police he had decided to shave his head at 4am.

Officers allegedly found blood throughout Ms Baker's car - parked under the unit - including on a headrest, window, the exterior and a fire escape door.

https://www.9news.com.au/2018/11/07/15/38/sydney-woman-in-fear-of-alleged-murderer

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

What a ****ing mutt!

 

[GreyCrow]

I'm not sure if its cultural or just the environment growing up but some men cant seem to be seen as less than masculine or dominant

 

[sprockets]

My new next door neighbours are in this situation. They're early to mid 20yo's I guess. He was locked up for two months for belting her in public, reported by a lady who saw it, and got out a month or so ago. The police took out an AVO (or whatever the police issue) against him, which wasn't at her request, but she visited him in jail when she could and picked him up on the day of his release. Apparently it's not the first time he's had police intervention for the same reason while they've been together.

Seriously, if I hear a disturbance next door am I supposed to go in and help her, when she refuses to help herself? He's not a big, tough bikie, he's just an ordinary looking guy and I'm pretty sure she's not scared to leave him. I did hear raised voices one day but thought it was just them being loud and not an argument. However, the police were there not long after.

 

[Kurve]

Seriously, if I hear a disturbance next door am I supposed to go in and help her

Just ring the police and keep ringing them sprockets. I understand how women end up in these abusive situations but despair at the same time.

I never used to take threats of violence very seriously, gob gob gob yes whatever ... but now I do. Daughter text me recently about threats she'd had, I bombed her with text messages until she was out of there. Disrespect begins with language and can end in violence.

 

[Kurve]

This obviously isn't just a man problem, respectful language goes both ways but this guy here got 13 years on manslaughter for choking Karen Rae to death.

The court heard Smith described Ms Rae as a "thing" and a "creature" to an undercover police officer and demonstrated a "Darth Vader" choking motion to the throat.

"By unlawfully assaulting her and dangerously strangling or choking her without her consent until she was dead, you treated her as the impersonal object of your own male power and sexual pleasure during an otherwise mutual and consensual sexual activity," Justice Kevin Bell told Smith during a sentencing hearing in the Supreme Court.

"You as an individual and others … must be deterred from acting on disrespectful, contemptuous and misogynistic views and opinions about women.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11...contemptuous-and-misogynistic-killer/10504266

 

[X_box_X]

The police took out an AVO (or whatever the police issue) against him,

IVO (Intervention Order). It's an Order issued by the Magistrates Courts in Victoria. Police in Victoria can also issue the Respondent with a Safety Notice, but that would involve bringing the Respondent to a Police Station to serve the Safety Notice on him. That Safety Notice is treated like an Interim Intervention Order and usually an Intervention Order will be issued by a Magistrate as a result of police taking out a Safety Notice.