Judge tells man partner was free to gamble as assault case heard
Peter Damianakis repeatedly slapped his partner, Lenqing Zhang, during an argument about her gambling at The Star casino in Sydney. A judge told him that Zhang was free to make her own choices and that he could choose to stay with her or walk away, underscoring that frustration did not justify assault.
The incident took place at poker machines shortly after 11am in February and was captured on CCTV. Damianakis, 54, pleaded guilty to common assault at Downing Centre Local Court; he receives NDIS benefits of $1,200 a fortnight and was already serving a 12-month intensive correction order for drug-related offences. His lawyer said he cared for his brother, who has dementia and had suffered a stroke; the couple’s relationship has since ended.
- A judge said Zhang could choose whether to gamble.
- Damianakis pleaded guilty to common assault.
- The casino incident was captured on CCTV.
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The case concerns an assault at The Star casino in Sydney, where poker machines are used for gambling. Peter Damianakis and Lenqing Zhang were partners at the time, and the argument began over Zhang’s gambling.
In Australia, common assault is a criminal offence that can include hitting or slapping someone. The case also involves an intensive correction order, a court sentence served in the community under conditions rather than in prison.
It matters because the court considered how personal choices and relationship disputes relate to responsibility for violence. Gambling, frustration or disagreement do not give someone the right to assault their partner.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “‘She can do whatever she wants’: Judge’s blunt lesson for NDIS recipient caught on CCTV slapping partner during Star casino pokies row”.