Domestic Violence Charges & AVO Dropped Before Court Date

Our client is a 28-year-old software engineer living with her partner. Police were called to their house after the partner called 000 and alleged he had been slapped.

When police attended, the partner told officers that our client was intoxicated and had got into an argument with him. In the course of this argument it was alleged that she had slapped him in the face.

Following this, police charged our client with common assault and applied for an AVO which included a condition that she not be in the presence of the PINOP within 12 hours of consuming alcohol.

The complainant initially contacted us after reading our guide on how to get an AVO dropped and asked us to assist the defendant in any way we could. Upon speaking to the defendant it became apparent that she was distraught at the prospect of the charge and AVO affecting her employment and future career prospects.

We immediately got to work by arranging an independent lawyer to speak to the complainant and prepare a retraction statement with him.

Following this we drafted detailed representations to police seeking the withdrawal of the charge and AVO. Because our client had instructed us early on, we were able to file representations well before to the first court date.

The case was listed at Sutherland Local Court. Prior to this date, our criminal lawyers in Sutherland contacted the domestic violence liaison officer and commenced negotiations.

Ultimately, Police were persuaded through our negotiations to withdraw both the charge and the AVO prior to the court date.

Our client and her partner were ecstatic with the result and have been able to move forward with their lives.