Oh my
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sout ... 135210eda4
Ex-AFL player Fabian Francis jailed for beating his wife
IT was the prime of his career and Port Adelaide champion Fabian Francis was loved by thousands of fans.
However, away from the public eye, Francis was a vicious and violent husband who took all his anger out on his then wife Debra Buckskin.
Francis, 38, yesterday faced punishment for the 10 years of domestic abuse he inflicted on Ms Buckskin. The District Court sentenced him to four years in jail with a non-parole period of 15 months.
The man who was twice named the favourite player of his club's members hung his head through part of the sentencing. His eyes appeared red-rimmed as he was taken into custody.
He left behind a weeping Trish Gully, the mother of his four-month-old daughter.
Ms Buckskin expressed relief outside court. "I'm glad it's all over," she said.
Judge Gordon Barrett noted Francis's career but said his lack of contrition and the arrogance of his actions prevented him from receiving a suspended sentence.
"For almost all of the 10 years you were together, you were domineering, threatening, verbally vicious and at times physically quite violent," he said.
"You were undeterred by the presence of others - by the presence of your children, her parents or by work colleagues. She couldn't count on being safe at home ... you did more than give her a back-hand."
Judge Barrett said a jury had found Francis guilty of eight abuse-related charges, and he found that they represented a "toxic" relationship between the couple from 1998 to 2008.
Francis had bashed Ms Buckskin in the face, threatened to stab her and threatened to injure her to such an extent that she would have to drink through a straw.
Judge Barrett said only people who had listened to the abusive and threatening recorded calls could appreciate the "extreme" level of emotional and psychological torment Francis imposed.
"You admit no more than what your counsel described as low-level domestic violence but, even then, only in the context of (Ms Buckskin) exerting the same sort of violence on you," he said.
"I find that you initiated the violence ... I accept that throughout the time that you were together, she stood up to you and argued back. Sometimes she fought back. Perhaps if she had been more submissive you would have been less violent. That is an unacceptable excuse."
