Jason Lee Kennedy sentenced in Tamworth court to five years in jail for siege with Oxley police and domestic violence offences

Jason Lee Kennedy was sentenced to five years in jail in Tamworth District Court after pleading guilty to kidnapping and weapons charges, as well as contravening an AVO.

He will serve two-years-and-10-months behind bars but with time served he will be eligible for release in December 2024.

Judge Andrew Coleman told the court during his judgment that the domestic violence offences were serious.

"The facts ... indicate a sustained, vicious and violent attack on a victim at her home," he said.

"The stand-off with police was not of short duration."

The court heard Kennedy had the victim, who he had a domestic relationship with, in a headlock and dragged her out of a car on February 11, telling her "don't move or I'll just choke you".

Kennedy kicked and punched the victim as the pair walked towards the house, according to the agreed facts, before the victim's mother arrived and tried to run Kennedy down with her car.

The victim blacked out but eventually got up and walked up the stairs and into the house as Kennedy struck her in the back with a broken rake handle, the court heard.

They didn't have house keys so Kennedy ripped the screen door off then banged down the door, Judge Coleman said as he read from the agreed facts.

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Kennedy grabbed two knives inside and hit the victim in the back, arms and face with the blunt side of the blades while saying "I'll kill ya" as she begged him to stop.

Kennedy continued to attack the woman and concerned members of the public made urgent calls to police for help.

Kennedy was armed with the knives in the front yard when police arrived and continued to threaten the victim with "significant injuries and death", Judge Coleman said.

Police tried to speak and reason with Kennedy but were unsuccessful.

After about an hour-and-a-half, he dropped the knives, walked slowly towards police and was arrested.

Once the siege was over, officers were told Kennedy was "coming down" from the drug ice, which he used regularly, and had been up for four days straight before the offending.

"I accept this was not part of a planned or organised criminal activity," Judge Coleman said.

The court heard Kennedy had a significant record and was on conditional liberty at the time.

The Crown and defence solicitors had earlier made submissions, and a psychologist report was handed up for Judge Coleman to consider.

He said it revealed how Kennedy had struggled with his health and that he would take that into account as part of his subjective factors.

The court heard Kennedy had little insight into the offending and hadn't shown significant remorse as he told the psychologist he couldn't remember what happened.

He recalled looking in the woman's handbag for house keys, then throwing knives on the ground and giving himself up to police.

Judge Coleman found special circumstances in the case due to Kennedy's need for rehabilitation and the COVID-19 hardships in jail, though acknowledged "protection of the community" was important.

He was sentenced for charges of taking and detaining with the intent to cause actual bodily harm; using an offensive weapon with the intent to commit an indictable offence; and contravening an AVO.

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