Mt Barker man first in Great Southern charged with persistent domestic violence denies offence

A Mt Barker man who was the first person in the Great Southern charged with persistently engaging in family violence will go to trial after pleading not guilty to the charge. Paul Baird-Orr, 42, appeared in Albany Magistrate’s Court last Thursday pleading not guilty to a string of domestic violence-related charges, including three counts of assault, one count of endangering the life, health or safety of a person, and one count of threatening to injure a person. The charge of persistently engaging in family violence relates to allegations of at least three acts of family violence committed on different days within a period of 10 years. Mt Barker man first in Great Southern charged with persistent family violence after Special Crime Squad arrest Mr Baird-Orr is due to appear in Perth Magistrate’s Court on August 17 when he will be listed for a trial. With 90 per cent of the witnesses located in the Perth area, prosecution asked the court to consider holding the trial in the metropolitan area. If convicted of persistently engaging in family violence, Mr Baird-Orr faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. If dealt with in the magistrate’s court, the maximum penalty is three years in prison and a $36,000 fine. In court on Thursday, Mr Baird-Orr pleaded guilty to a criminal damage charge when he damaged property at Albany Health Campus. Police prosecutor Sergeant Alan Dean told the court Baird-Orr became angry in the emergency department waiting room and started verbally abusing staff. An enraged Baird-Orr kicked a glass panel of a sliding door causing it to shatter, Sgt Dean told the court. Magistrate Robert Young fined Baird-Orr $1000 for the damage charges and ordered him to pay $524 in compensation.