- Simon Burgess won silver at the 2004 Olympics
- Facing a charge of one count of assault in the Tasmanian District Court
Former Tasmanian Olympic rower Simon Burgess has learned his fate in court after attacking his ex-wife in her home.
Burgess, 57, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault, three charges of breaching a family violence order and one charge of damaging property following the attack in Franklin in Tasmania’s Huon Valley on December 2 last year.
However, he was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence by Magistrate Andrew McKee in the Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday.
If he is found guilty of offenses warranting jail time in the next 18 months, he will automatically serve 83 days in jail.
“Your conduct was intended to exert a degree of control or physical dominance over her as a result of receiving correspondence from her lawyer regarding the potential sale of that family farm,” Magistrate McKee said.
“Behavior such as this undermines public confidence in the ability of domestic abuse orders to provide protection for victims of domestic abuse.”
Simon Burgess (left) left his wife in fear for her life during the shocking attack
The court heard the Olympic silver medalist in rowing entered his former partner’s home wearing black gloves before straddling her and slamming her into the bed and punching a hole in the wall.
Fearing for her life, the 57-year-old’s ex-wife used a glass bowl to hit Burgess on the head in an attempt to get him to stop, the court heard.
He began bleeding profusely but continued to yell and punch the woman about eight times in total.
“(Burgess) took paper out of his pocket and said, ‘You’re going to choke on this,'” prosecutor Andrew Lockley told the court.
Burgess continued to straddle the woman and slap her every time she said something he didn’t like.
He also punched a hole in the wall above the bed with a ‘clenched fist’, having arrived earlier wearing black rubber gloves.
The woman ran out of the house and flagged down a passing motorcyclist who helped until police arrived.
The Australian Olympic silver medalist (second from left) was given a suspended prison sentence
Burgess, who was later arrested at his home, said he believed the family violence order had expired and expected a “civil discussion.”
In an initial police interview, he said he could not understand why the woman was afraid of him and refused to wear gloves, despite CCTV showing otherwise.
His lawyer Philippa Morgan said his seven days in police custody after his arrest were “horrific” for someone who had never been involved in the justice system.
She said Burgess had fallen from grace because of his public profile as one of Australia’s greatest rowers, which others might not experience.
“That’s something he felt very deeply,” she said.
Burgess had experienced mental health problems, contemplated suicide in 2021 and used alcohol as a coping mechanism.
Mrs Morgan said he was the subject of vitriol from his ex-wife’s family after they split, and feared he would lose the family farm in the wash.
Burgess, who pleaded guilty to the majority of the charges in January, suffered amnesia after being hit with the bowl.
He entered guilty pleas after watching the police interview, Ms Morgan said.
Burgess (second from right) won silver for Australia at the Olympic Games in Athens twenty years ago
Burgess was remorseful, admitted entitlement and self-interest in going to the woman’s home and regretted hurting her, Ms Morgan said.
“At the time he was angry and sad and felt broken,” she added.
Burgess has completed a ‘very challenging’ Relationships Australia course, doesn’t drink much and has worked hard with a psychologist and psychiatrist.
Burgess won silver at the Athens Olympics and competed in ten World Rowing Championships between 1990 and 2003.
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