Brendan Howe the tradie attacked his pregnant wife and used a vile slur to describe their unborn baby. He spent ONE day behind bars… and what he did next will infuriate you

A construction company director who was slapped with a slap on the wrist for assaulting his heavily pregnant ex-wife and calling their unborn baby a ‘c**t’ has breached his sentence by jumping on a plane to Bali, it has emerged Daily Mail Australia reveal.

Brendan Lionel Howe, 37, pleaded guilty earlier this month to aggravated assault, two charges of common assault and one charge of property damage during a four-year campaign of abuse against his ex-wife.

The ACT Supreme Court heard he once held her against a wall when she was 34 weeks pregnant and shouted in front of their toddler: ‘I rule this house. You should worship the damn ground I walk on. You’re a fucking bitch. You’re a mutt.’

‘If you and that little bastard inside you can’t see that I’m the boss and if I want to talk about something, I’m going to talk about it [it] and she will know it and you will know it.”

He also threatened to kill her if she left him.

Howe, who has spent just one night in jail since his arrest, left court last week with a fully suspended sentence of seven months, a year in jail for good behavior, an $1,800 fine and 50 hours of community service.

Now Howe has been given a formal warning for traveling to Bali two days after his sentencing – in a blatant breach of prison sentences and good behavior orders.

He had been ordered to remain in or near the ACT for a year after his conviction.

It is unclear whether he has been traveling with his new girlfriend, but the court heard she is aware of his offending and has provided a referral to court.

Brendan Howe is pictured on a separate, recent trip to Bali. He received a formal warning this week

Brendan Howe (pictured) threatened to kill his ex-wife if she left him, a court heard

It is understood Howe traveled to Bali on other occasions between his initial arrest and conviction, and missed supervised visits with his toddler last week in favor of his overseas trip.

He declined to comment on the matter when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

His construction company, Homes by Howe – which works on multi-million dollar projects around Canberra – appeared to be functioning normally in his absence last week.

There were multiple construction sites surrounded by his company logos, tradies working in various locations and he was taking bookings for new clients.

In 2022, Governor General David Hurley had to apologize for a “spur of a happy moment” to have his photo taken with Howe at the end of a private renovation.

Mr Hurley said he did not intend for his photo or testimonial to be used in commercial advertisements for Homes by Howe, and stressed he did not receive any benefits.

During the recent sentencing, Judge Louise Taylor said the company had generated ‘significant income’ but since the breakdown of his relationship he had fallen into debt due to legal fees and child support.

Pictured: Brendan Howe (left) with Governor General David Hurley and his wife Linda

Brendan Howe is pictured in Canberra on Monday. He pleaded guilty to assaulting his ex-wife

His ex-wife cried and shook uncontrollably as she gave her victim impact statement last week, telling the court: ‘I was always the woman who said, ‘I will never be with a man who abuses me.’

‘When you pressed me against our bedroom door at 34 weeks pregnant, for [our daughter] – time stood still. I couldn’t believe it was happening, and that the man I loved, the father of my children, could actually kill me.

“I tolerated this behavior for so many years because I loved you so much and longed for our family unit. I never wanted this. I was also afraid of what you would do if I left. I was afraid you would follow through with your threats.”

The woman said Howe had continually blamed her for his abuse, saying she deserved it because he made the money and had anger issues, and told the court he never apologized to her.

She begged the court to hold Howe accountable for his actions and the way he ruined her sense of safety and security in the world.

Brendan Howe abused his ex-wife for four years, the ACT Supreme Court heard

Brendan Howe’s developments can be seen around the inner suburbs of Canberra (pictured)

Judge Taylor described Howe’s comments about his unborn child as “truly appalling”, acknowledged his wife’s trauma and found he showed no genuine remorse.

“He’s sad about himself,” she said.

“The perpetration of violence, usually by men against their female partners, is a common phenomenon in this jurisdiction and across the country.”

She said these types of crimes have “life-changing consequences” and that it is rare for a sentence imposed by a court in such a case to help victims simply move on and restore their lives.

However, she discovered that he was motivated to change and had good prospects for rehabilitation.

Howe will appear in the ACT Magistrates Court on June 24 for a new case, during which he will be cross-examined.