Suspended sentence for Albany man who repeatedly punched sister in face as relatives tried to intervene

An Albany man who repeatedly attacked his sister at her home, punching her in the face in front of other relatives who tried to intervene, has been given an 11-month suspended prison sentence. Joshua Jamain Krakouer, 48, appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on September 15 and pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated common assault. Police prosecutor Sgt Dave Loverock told the court Krakouer went to his sister’s home in Yakamia at 12.50pm on April 2 and got into an argument with her. Other family members unsuccessfully tried to get Krakouer to leave the house before he pushed his sister on to a lounge, straddled her and started punching her face with both fists. The other family members pulled him away from his sister, who fled to the kitchen. But Krakouer followed her and continued the attack, punching her in the face and dragging her to the ground by her hair. She tried to defend herself by using a broom to hit her brother, who kicked her as relatives pulled her away. The victim was able to flee to her bedroom and later went to Albany Health Campus for treatment. Defence lawyer Kyah Langdon said Krakouer had been drinking white wine the night before the offence. She said although he recognised the seriousness of the attack, he could not remember it. “He says he’s got four sisters and he loves them all but in his view he has no recollection of the offending,” Ms Langdon said. She said Krakouer had since stopped drinking white wine and now drank watered-down red wine, and had reduced his drinking from every day to three days a week. Magistrate Dianne Scaddan said Krakouer carried out “three separate assaults in a short period of time”. “You were not stopped by other family members coming to your sister’s rescue and you were intoxicated at the time...alcohol is not a mitigating factor,” Ms Scaddan said. “In the cold light of day you must understand that that was a terrible thing to do to her.” Ms Scaddan said it was a “finely balanced” decision between an immediate prison term and a suspended sentence. Krakouer received an 11-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. He must undertake alcohol counselling.