Man bashed ex-partner as she screamed for help just four days after release from jail for prior assault

A man repeatedly punched and kicked his ex-girlfriend in the head while she screamed for help just four days after being released from jail for assaulting her. Basha Woods pleaded guilty to aggravated unlawful assault causing bodily harm in Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday where he appeared via video link from Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison. The 35-year-old admitted to punching his ex four or five times in the head before kicking her multiple times to the head while she lay on the ground screaming for help. His lawyer, Eric Lund, said Woods was “clearly celebrating” his release from jail and had drunk so much he struggled to remember his actions. Mr Lund said Woods was now “finished with” his ex and planned to return to Tjuntjuntjara to be with his first wife and their children. He said Woods had been given a letter for prospective employment with the Community Development Program (CDP) office, but magistrate William Yoo said he had not seen that letter. Mr Lund submitted Woods could be sentenced to a community-based order or suspended imprisonment order, but a representative from Adult Community Corrections submitted Woods had a history of non-compliance and they held great concerns for the victim in this matter. Prosecuting Const. Kim Sullivan said Woods had a history of assaulting this victim as well as others and believed only immediate imprisonment would be appropriate. Mr Yoo said his sentence needed to act as a deterrent to men from this kind of behaviour, and specifically to Woods who he determined had an “issue with violence”. He granted him a 20 per cent discount to his sentence for his guilty plea and sentenced him to eight months jail, backdated to August 17 to account for the 226 days he had spent in custody. He was made eligible for parole, which means he is eligible now or will serve his full term in a matter of weeks. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)