Ex-boyfriend spared prison over attempted break-in

A 30-year old man who admitted that he attempted to break into his ex-girlfriend’s home as well as damaging her property on April 3 this year received a two-year suspended sentence during this morning’s Plea Court session.

Last month, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner heard that Peter Nentwig, of Ord Road, Warwick went to the home of his ex-girlfriend Tiffany Dawson at approximately 9:30pm while she and a male friend were watching a movie in her bedroom. Nentwig was discovered outside her window and he asked Ms Dawson to come outside; a request she refused.

Nentwig subsequently left the property but reappeared a short time later. Footage from the complainant’s CCTV showed the man walking around her home and Ms Dawson also found the outside handle of her kitchen door bent and twisted.

After hearing glass in her kitchen shatter, the complainant’s friend went outside of the home wielding a baseball bat. Nentwig, who was bleeding at the time, was seen holding a knife with a ten-inch blade but he dropped it and left the home.

Saul Dismont, representing Nentwig asked Mr. Warner to consider giving his client a suspended sentence. He said while his client was sorry for his actions, it was as a result of him allowing his emotions to get out of control and that he had never acted like this with anyone else in the past.

Nentwig, who was also convicted in September 2013, for threatening the same woman and damaging her property, said despite he being previously ordered to stay away from her, Ms Dawson had invited him to her home and they had an on-again, off-again relationship at the time of the second incident.

However, prosecutor Victoria Greening said the complainant said in her victim impact statement that she no longer felt safe in her own home and had members of her family spending the night with her. She added that Ms Dawson said she also experienced frequent nightmares.

Before handing Nentwig a two-year sentence suspended for two years, Mr. Warner said that he found it “particularly disturbing” that Nentwig had a previous conviction for similar crime against the same woman. While he said he acknowledged that Ms Dawson continued a relationship with Nentwig after the first conviction, he warned that “in no way, shape or form” should it be misconstrued that Nentwig’s behavior is acceptable or permissible.

Along with the suspended sentence, Mr. Warner ordered Nentwig be placed on two years’ probation and must be assessed immediately by the Department of Court Services and pending the outcome of assessment must participate in any programmes deemed necessary by the Department for rehabilitation.