Former Tasmanian Olympic rower Simon Burgess given a suspended sentence for assaulting his ex-wife in 2023

A two-time Olympic rowing medalist who entered his ex-wife’s home wearing rubber gloves and attacked her has avoided further jail time.

WARNING: This story contains details of domestic violence and assault.

Simon Burgess, 57, pleaded guilty to one count of assault, three counts of breaching a domestic violence order and one count of damaging property.

The court heard the attack at a house in Franklin, in Tasmania’s Huon Valley, had a significant impact on the victim.

Burgess entered the woman’s home at about 8pm on December 2 last year in breach of a domestic violence order.

The woman was in her bedroom at the time and the court heard Burgess straddled her and punched her eight times in the head.

Magistrate Andrew McKee said the woman begged him to stop.

The court was told Burgess pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and told the woman: “You’ll choke on this”, which she assumed was a letter from her solicitor regarding the potential sale of the family farm.

Burgess punched a hole in the wall above her head.

She hit him over the head with a glass bowl and was able to escape the house and get help from a passing motorist.

Burgess was arrested and questioned, in which he told police he had not read the domestic violence order and described it as “bogus.”

Magistrate McKee said the comment showed Burgess’ attitude towards the order and the attack was aimed at instilling fear in the victim.

“Your conduct was intended to exert some level of control or physical dominance over her as a result of receiving correspondence from her solicitor regarding the potential sale of this family farm,” he said.

“Conduct like this undermines public confidence in the ability of family violence orders to provide protection to victims of family violence.”

Time spent in custody ‘encouraged’ Burgess not to reoffend

In court, Burgess was described as remorseful, embarrassed by the impact his behavior had on his entire family, attending a men’s behavior program and seeing a psychiatrist, with many people in the community giving positive comments about his characters.

Burgess represented Australia at three Olympic Games, winning a silver medal twice and captaining the men’s rowing team in 2004.

After his arrest, he spent seven days in custody.

Magistrate McKee said his time in custody had “encouraged (Burgess) not to reoffend”.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 90 days’ imprisonment, 83 days of which were suspended for 18 months, on the condition that he commit no further offenses punishable by imprisonment.

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