A "grossly intoxicated" man who assaulted a restaurant worker before breaking into an Adelaide home where he bit and punched a woman as her children locked themselves in a bathroom will be released from prison in two months.
Jesse Michael Normandale, 23, pleaded guilty to four offences, including aggravated assault with a weapon and trespass in February last year.
He entered the Aldinga Beach house in Adelaide's south through an unlocked front door, and went into the bedroom of an eight-year-old girl before grabbing her mother by the neck and hitting her in the head with a drink can.
The woman's 15-year-old daughter took her two younger sisters into a bathroom, locked the door and rang police.
A tussle ensued and Normandale repeatedly hit the victim and bit her on the face.
She required plastic surgery and numerous stitches for her injuries.
Magistrate Michelle Sutcliffe, who today sentenced Normandale, said he had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time but also had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.198.
"Your offending was irrational, impulsive and opportunistic.
"The victim's 15-year-old daughter acted bravely to protect her sisters but it must have been horrific for her and the vulnerable young children to barricade themselves in the bathroom knowing that you were attacking their mum.
Six-month sentence partially suspended
Normandale also admitted to assaulting an employee at the Aldinga Beach McDonald's outlet less than an hour earlier.
The court heard Normandale was shouting and banging on the table in the fast-food store while holding what appeared to be a whisky bottle, and that, when he was asked to leave, he struck the employee in the back.
Normandale's lawyer Zayn Richter told the court his client was using alcohol to self-medicate but that did not excuse his behaviour.
"Mr Normandale would like to make it clear he's very regretful of his behaviour and makes no excuse for it," Mr Richter told the court.
"It was his gross intoxication that led to the offending."
The court heard Normandale had told a psychologist he was "disgusted in himself".
"Alcohol got me in this situation. I wouldn't have offended if I hadn't been so drunk," the court heard Normandale told a psychologist.
"I was thinking what if that had happened to me and my mum, it would have ruined me, and now I'm responsible for that.
"It was completely senseless. There was no reason for me to do it."
Normandale has been in custody since his arrest in February 2021.
Magistrate Sutcliffe sentenced Normandale to a further six months in jail but partially suspended his sentence.
Normandale will be subject to a two-year good behaviour bond.
