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A man who locked his wife in their home and beat her with household items argues his narcissistic personality disorder lowers his moral culpability and he should be given less prison time.
Warning: This story contains details which may be distressing to some readers.
The man, now aged 26, has pleaded guilty to an aggravated charge of causing a person to enter into or remain in servitude and two assault charges.
He faced the second day of a pre-sentence hearing today, where he stands to become the first person in Victoria sentenced for aggravated servitude.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, subjected his wife to three years of "heinous" family violence, including daily beatings with metal poles and belts while she was pregnant, the Supreme Court was told yesterday.
He locked his wife and their baby inside his home while he went out to socialise, and would make the woman video herself to ensure she did not leave their Melbourne apartment, the court was told.
The man's barrister Theo Kassimatis KC called forensic psychologist Patrick Newton today, who confirmed the man had been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder with antisocial features.
"He sees himself as entitled to behave in these ways," Newton told the court.
Where to get help for domestic violence. (Source: 1News)
He said the man lacked empathy and his social functioning was impaired by his selfishness and egocentricity.
Newton said the man would be unable to accept any prison sentence handed to him as he will see it as persecution, rather than just punishment.
Kassimatis said his client's personality disorder lowered his moral culpability for the offending, by impairing his social functioning and moral reasoning.
He also asked Justice Jane Dixon to take into account his young age and early guilty plea.
"It should result in a palpable, discernible discount on his sentence," he said.
But prosecutor Elizabeth Ruddle SC said the offending was at the "highest level" of seriousness and called for it to be properly denounced and punished.
"There is no doubt that this court, and the Court of Appeal, have made clear that family violence is a stain on our community and it must be denounced and punished in significant terms," she said.
The man, who was facing up to 20 years behind bars, would be sentenced at a later date.
