Paul Laurence Snaidero’s bid to appeal his conviction for assault has been dismissed during a hearing in Griffith’s District Court.
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Mr Snaidero had been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm of his estranged wife, Adele, in December 2013.
On Thursday, Judge Michael Bozic dismissed the appeal by Mr Snaidero.
In July, Mr Snaidero was sentenced to a two-year good behaviour bond and was fined $1000 after he was convicted in Griffith’s Local Court.
At the time Local Court magistrate Joy Boulos described the relationship between Mr Snaidero and his former wife as “acrimonious, toxic and dysfunctional”.
The prosecution’s case used photographs taken following the assault, as well as testimony from the pair’s son and a friend.
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Magistrate Boulos rejected the evidence provided by Mr Snaidero in his defence.
The assault occurred in the Snaidero family home in December 2013, following lunch with guests.
Mrs Snaidero voiced her anger with Mr Snaidero after he inquired about a guest’s bathroom activities.
Mr Snaidero went to work following lunch and returned home later that evening.
There was an argument about Mr Snaidero’s comments at lunch, before he physically assaulted his wife.
“There have been extensive submissions made on behalf of the appellant [Mr Snaidero] attacking the complainant [Mrs Snaidero] and the credit finding made by the magistrate, and those findings should not be acted on in this appeal,” Judge Bozic said.
Those submissions said Mr Snaidero had given clear and compelling evidence, and highlighted an inconsistency in Mrs Snaidero’s testimony which would have cast doubt on the rest of her evidence.
Judge Bozic said he found that inconsistency wasn’t significant.
Mr Snaidero’s submissions to the court questioned whether the photos used as evidence had been doctored to embellish the injuries and that the prosecution had not proved beyond reasonable doubt that the assault had happened.
Judge Bozic noted the photos used were consistent with evidence from Mrs Snaidero and inconsistent with evidence from Mr Snaidero.
“There’s no basis for concluding those photographs are in some way altered,” Judge Bozic said.
Judge Bozic said he accepted the magistrate’s findings and made the same findings, and confirmed the two-year good behaviour bond and $1000 fine for Mr Snaidero.
Mr Snaidero is Griffith City Councillor and is investigating his legal options.
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