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During a hearing in a Perth court on Friday morning, it was revealed that 41-year-old Daniel Kerr, a West Coast Eagles premiership player, subjected a woman to physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, destroyed her property, and took control of her finances and social media accounts.
The court was informed that the couple’s relationship was plagued by drug and alcohol abuse.
Kerr left the court without incarceration following his sentencing (ABC News: West Matteeussen). State prosecutor Fiona Clare described how Kerr repeatedly assaulted the woman, whose identity is suppressed, including punching her with keys in his hand and then licking the blood off them. On other occasions, he grabbed her by the hair, threw her against a wall, punched her while she held their child, and twice choked her by putting his hand around her neck. Ms. Clare also highlighted Kerr’s “coercive” and “financial” control over the woman, blaming her for his inability to see his children.
In mid-2020, the woman obtained a violence restraining order against Kerr before reporting the abuse to the police, showing what Ms. Clare called “bravery” and “tenacity of spirit.” In her statement, the woman said she was no longer afraid of Kerr and was focused on the best interests of everyone involved, especially the children.
Kerr, who initially planned to contest the charges, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of persistent family violence after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia while in custody for setting fire to his parents’ house in 2021. His lawyer, Kate Turtley-Chappel, argued that Kerr’s mental health issues and drug use drove his behavior, but he now had insight into his actions due to proper medication and treatment.
References from family members, including his mother, noted significant improvements in his behavior and the restoration of a “wonderful relationship” with his family. Turtley-Chappel urged Judge Wendy Gillan to impose a non-custodial sentence.
Judge Gillan sentenced Kerr to a suspended jail term of four years and six months with strict community supervision conditions, emphasizing that the sentence was due to his rehabilitation efforts and mental health treatment. She acknowledged Kerr’s considerable fall from grace and the public scrutiny he faced. While not convinced Kerr posed no risk of reoffending, she stressed the importance of his continued rehabilitation for community interest.
Kerr was declared a “serial family violence offender” but was not subjected to electronic monitoring due to his current compliance with treatment. Kerr, brother of Australian soccer star Samantha Kerr, retired from the AFL in 2013 after playing 220 games for the West Coast Eagles.
