A 20-year-old Phillip Bay hairdresser, Paris Coudounellis, has been sentenced after breaching an apprehended violence order (AVO) by cutting open flyscreens and sneaking into her ex-boyfriend’s bed.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Coudounellis appeared at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday, June 18 where Magistrate Kirk Dailly convicted her and handed down an 18-month supervised conditional release order, alongside a $1,110 fine.
The sentence followed her guilty plea to breaching an AVO protecting her former partner, Luke Paterson.
The court also heard prior domestic violence matters involving Paterson, to which Coudounellis had previously pleaded guilty — including one count of common assault and three counts of destroying or damaging property.
Court documents reveal that in June 2024, Coudounellis broke the flyscreens of Paterson’s Kensington bedroom window and climbed into his bed. In a separate incident, she was found crying in his mother’s Mercedes, where she assaulted Paterson and damaged the car’s interior, including the air conditioning vents and cruise control.
In August, an AVO was imposed, including a no-contact condition. However, on March 30 this year, after celebrating her birthday with several drinks, Coudounellis allegedly allowed Paterson into her home when he knocked on her bedroom window at 2.30am. She later reported he had choked her. When police responded, checks revealed she had breached the AVO, resulting in her arrest.
Coudounellis told officers she was intoxicated and unaware she could be arrested while reporting an assault. Paterson has pleaded not guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and has yet to enter a plea for breaching the AVO. His case is set for hearing in August.
Defence lawyer Sam Saadat said his client struggled emotionally following the relationship’s breakdown, which allegedly involved infidelity. “She went through an emotional rollercoaster during the relationship and acted stupidly,” he said, urging the court to consider her age and potential impact on her future.
Magistrate Dailly acknowledged Coudounellis’ remorse but said: “Relationship breakdowns happen all the time. People get cheated on often and they don’t deal with it by damaging property and assaulting people.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph
