A supreme court judge has been found guilty of assaulting his former partner by shaking her, pushing her into a mantelpiece as well as emotionally abusing and intimidating her.
Gregory Geason, a Tasmanian justice who has been on leave from his duties, denied the charges and faced a seven-day hearing in Hobart Magistrates Court in July.
The magistrate, Susan Wakeling, found Geason guilty of assault and one count of emotional abuse or intimidation on Wednesday.
Wakeling found Geason shook his then-partner on October 31, struck her in the chest and pushed her forcefully into a mantelpiece causing her to hit her head.
Geason had disputed the woman’s version of events, previously telling the court she hit her head after falling into a table while “unsteady”, potentially because she had too much to drink.
Wakeling described the woman as a truthful witness and said Geason’s version of the assault was “contrived”.
Geason became enraged after seeing a photo of the woman’s male colleague on her phone in the lead-up to the assault.
Wakeling accepted medical evidence that bruises to 18 separate areas of the woman’s body were “very likely” the result of an assault.
The woman was also diagnosed with concussion.
Geason was found to have emotionally abused or intimidated the woman by tracking her movements and verbally abusing her by calling her a “slut”.
He also pressured her to sign a house contract and was jealous, angry and aggressive.
Geason’s conduct was coercive with the purpose of “securing control” over the woman, Wakeling said.
Geason has been on leave from his job and has given a written undertaking to not exercise duties of a judge.
