Newtown Man Burned Woman’s Tattoo With Soldering Iron, Court Told
By Karen Matthews
Published : May 27, 2009

NEWTOWN, AUSTRAILIA – A Newton man who allegedly took a soldering iron to a woman’s tattoo has had his bail revoked and is back behind bars.

Timothy Shahwan, 33, of Churchill Ave, Newtown, appeared in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday charged with offenses including recklessly causing injury, assaulting police, handling stolen goods, loitering with intent and multiple shop thefts and driving offenses.

Police prosecutor, Leading Senior Constable Rob Allen said that in November 2006, Shahwan went to the female victim’s address in Grovedale where they sat in his car and smoked a cigarette. He said Shahwan became argumentative and aggressive towards the victim after learning she had acquired a tattoo and demanded she show it to him.

“When the victim refused, Shahwan tried to pull her pants down to look at it,” he said.

“The victim resisted and Shahwan punched her about eight times to the head, knocking her to the floor of the car.”

Sen-Constable Allen said Shahwan drove off and then slammed the brakes on causing the victim to hit her head on the dash.

He kicked her as she tried to get out of the car,” he said.

“He then grabbed her by the throat and threatened her with a soldering iron.

“He told her, ‘I’ll burn your face, let’s see if your boyfriend thinks you’re pretty then’.”

Sen-Constable Allen said Shahwan again drove off before slamming on the brakes.

“Shahwan jumped out of the car, ran around to the victim’s side, dragged her out of the car and kicked her to the upper body,” he said.

“When she tried to defend herself he bit her on the hand.

“Shahwan then got the soldering iron and pressed it onto the victim’s stomach burning her skin.”

Sen-Constable Allen said the reason the matter had taken so long to come before the court was because police had been unable to locate the accused man for two years.

The prosecutor said other charges against Shahwan included the theft of a television from Elsworthy’s and a $30 service station drive-off in March, the attempted theft of another television from the Good Guys in April along with head-butting a police officer and loitering with intent at Ocean Grove in May.

Sen-Constable Allen said Shahwan had continued to offend while on bail and asked the court to revoke bail.

Shane Balkin, for Shahwan, said that ideally his client would like the court to let him go. “As for the soldering iron on the victim’s stomach, my client claims that any contact with the skin was inadvertent,” Mr Balkin said.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan revoked bail and remanded Shahwan in custody for a contested hearing on August 18.

Source : Geelong Advertiser