John Peter Boyd: ‘Severe’ alcoholic sentenced after assaulting girlfriend, police and towel-clad woman

A “severe” alcoholic has been jailed for a range of assaults, including choking his girlfriend, assaulting her son and attacking a towel-clad woman in her own home. John Peter Boyd, 48, appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court from Greenough Regional Prison on Monday for sentencing on 13 charges after spending 180 days in custody. Boyd pleaded guilty in August to assault occasioning bodily harm, assaulting a public officer, trespass, common assault, disorderly behaviour, street drinking, damaging property, aggravated common assault, breaching a police order, disorderly behaviour in a police lock up, criminal damage, impeding another person’s breathing and obstructing police. On February 15, 2023, Boyd was hanging on the back fence of a Beachlands property when the occupant, a woman wrapped in a towel, asked him to leave. The court was told Boyd told her he lived three houses down and she shouldn’t be living there. He spat on her and followed her as she ran into the house and locked the front door. He went around to the back door and grabbed her by the arms, causing bruising, and pulled the towel off her, revealing her naked lower body. Police prosecutor Sgt Carey Owen said after his arrest, Boyd attempted to break free from the officer’s grasp. When police asked if he had anything on him, Boyd replied “yes I do” and spat at officers. He repeatedly spat inside the cell and kept other people in custody awake at night, the court was told. Boyd was found drinking cask wine in a soft drink bottle on a public bench on April 30 when he became aggressive towards police, swearing loudly until officers arrested him. On July 10, Boyd arrived at his partner’s house in Tarcoola Beach and was refused entry. Sgt Owen said Boyd’s partner opened the window from the inside and Boyd told her “if I want to get into the house I will, no one can stop me” and smashed the window. As the couple were arguing in the hallway of the house, Boyd used a wrench to smash holes in the laundry and bedroom doors. The court was told the woman told Boyd to “have a hotshot and die” and he grabbed her by the throat, pushing her into the wall. The woman’s 16-year-old son was on a PlayStation trying to ignore the altercation when Boyd ripped him out of the chair. Boyd’s defence lawyer said his client was a “severe alcoholic” and committed crimes when he was intoxicated. The court was told Boyd had a “tragic” childhood and was effectively homeless from the age of 11 after he was subjected to abuse in foster care. Boyd was sentenced to 10 months in jail backdated to July 13, 2023 and was fined $1400. He was made eligible for parole. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)