Boreham & Dawkins (No 2)
[2009] FamCA 1000
•26 October, 2009
FAMILY COURT OF AUSTRALIA
| BOREHAM & DAWKINS (NO. 2) | [2009] FamCA 1000 |
FAMILY LAW - CONTRVENTION - Subdivision E - Allegation that father drank alcohol less than 24 hours before time under parenting orders proved - Appropriate to make order for costs
FAMILY LAW - CONTRAVENTION - Mother entitled to rely on reasonable excuse whether father found to have consumed alcohol
FAMILY LAW – ORDERS – VARIATION – Section 70NBA having been enlivened, variation of parenting orders - Requirement imposed for father to undergo alcohol counselling to prove child not at risk and attend changeover with a car fitted with an approved anti-alcohol interlocking device
| Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) Sub-division E, Division 13A, Part VII, ss 70NAA(1), 70NAA(2), 60CA, 70NAE(1), (5), 70NEB,(1)(f), 70NBA(1), (2) and (3) |
| FATHER: | Mr Boreham |
| MOTHER: | Ms Dawkins |
| FILE NUMBER: | MLC | 8489 | of | 2009 |
| DATE DELIVERED: | 26 October, 2009 |
| PLACE DELIVERED: | Melbourne |
| PLACE HEARD: | Melbourne |
| JUDGMENT OF: | CRONIN J |
| HEARING DATE: | 20 October, 2009 |
REPRESENTATION
| THE FATHER: | In person |
| COUNSEL FOR THE MOTHER: | Mr. Weil |
| SOLICITOR FOR THE MOTHER: | M.K. Steele & Giammario |
Orders
That the father is found to have contravened paragraph (9) of the orders made on 14 July, 2009.
For the purposes of Division 13A of Part VII of the Family Law Act 1975, the contravention is declared to fall within Subdivision E.
Pursuant to s.70NEB(1)(f), the father pay the mother’s costs of these proceedings in a sum to be agreed and failing agreement by 4:00 pm. on 1 December, 2009, as assessed pursuant to the Family Law Rules 2004.
That until further order, paragraphs (4)(a) and (4)(b) of the orders made on 14 July, 2009 are and remain suspended.
Commencing on Saturday 31 October, 2009, the father spend time with the child … born … October, 2005 from 10:00 am. until 6:00 pm. on each alternate Saturday upon the following conditions :
(a)that he attend at the premises of the mother in a motor vehicle fitted with an anti-alcohol interlocking device;
(b)that before being able to collect the child and take her away for the period referred to, the father turn off the motor vehicle’s engine, apply breath to the interlocking device and then restart the engine;
(c)that upon returning the child at the conclusion of any contact period, the father repeat the exercise in (b) above;
(d)that for the purposes of both (b) and (c), the provisions will be satisfied only upon the completion of the exercises in the presence of the mother or her nominee; and
(e)that the father do all things reasonable to satisfy the mother or her nominee that the interlocking device is approved by VICROADS and appropriately fitted in the vehicle in which he attends to collect and return the child.
Should the father fail the interlocking device test, fail to attend at the appointed times under these orders or fail to attend the handovers with a properly fitted interlocking device on the vehicle, unless otherwise agreed, the provisions of paragraph (5) hereof are suspended and thereafter, the father shall spend no time with the child without making a further application to a court having jurisdiction under the Family Law Act 1975.
That the mother ensure the prompt attendance of herself or her nominee at the handovers referred to in paragraph (5) hereof.
That paragraphs (4)(a) and (4)(b) of the orders made 14 July, 2009 shall remain suspended until all of the following have been satisfied :
(a)the father provides to the mother a certificate signed by a suitably qualified alcohol counsellor showing that :
(i)he has provided the counsellor with a copy of these orders and the reasons for judgment delivered this day;
(ii)the counsellor has read the said documents;
(iii)the counsellor has undertaken counselling and/or tests relating to alcohol with the father; and
(iv)the counsellor is satisfied that notwithstanding the father’s evidence about the consumption of alcohol and the court’s findings referred to in the said documents, the father poses no risk to the child from consuming alcohol for a period of at least 24 hours prior to having responsibility for the care of the child.
That upon the mother receiving the certificate referred to in paragraph (8) with the conditions therein being met, the provision of paragraphs (4)(a) and (4)(b) of the orders of 14 July, 2009 are no longer suspended.
Notwithstanding the father may be entitled to spend any time with the child hereafter, until the parties agree in writing otherwise, the conditions set out in paragraph (5) of these orders shall be a permanent part of any contact orders.
That there be liberty to apply for a period of one month from this date in relation to the implementation of these orders.
That all proceedings are otherwise dismissed.
That pursuant to Rule 19.50 of the Family Law Rules 2004 this matter reasonably required the attendance of counsel.
That pursuant to s.65DA(2) and s.62B, the particulars of the obligations these orders create and the particulars of the consequences that may follow if a person contravenes these orders and details of who can assist parties adjust to and comply with an order are set out in the Fact Sheet attached hereto and these particulars are included in these orders.
IT IS NOTED that publication of this judgment under the pseudonym Boreham & Dawkins is approved pursuant to s 121(9)(g) of the Family Law Act 1975 (Cth)
| FAMILY COURT OF AUSTRALIA AT MELBOURNE |
FILE NUMBER: MLC 8489 of 2009
| MR BOREHAM |
Father
And
| MS DAWKINS |
Mother
REASONS FOR JUDGMENT
On 20 October, 2009 in the judicial duty list, I heard the respective contravention applications of the parties. At the time I made orders to which I shall refer. I indicated that I did not have sufficient time to give expansive reasons for those orders. These are the reasons.
Final parenting orders were made by consent of the parties by me on 14 July, 2009. The relevant paragraphs of that order are :
4 That the child spend time with the father as follows:-
(a)From 10.00am Saturday until 5.00 pm Sunday each alternate weekend commencing 18 July 2009.
(b)Upon the father obtaining a valid Victorian driver's licence, or 1 November 2009, whichever is the earlier, from 5.00 pm Friday until 6.00 pm each alternate Sunday until the child commences school;
[. . . ]
7.That the time the child is to spend with the father take place at the home of the father’s mother until such time as the father provides the solicitors for the mother with a certificate of occupancy for his property at [H].
8.That the father provide to the mother's solicitor as soon as possible, proof of his obtaining his valid Victorian driver's licence and certificate of occupancy as provided for in paragraph 6 and 7.
9.That the father be restrained from consuming alcohol for a period of 24 hours prior to and during any period of time to be spent with the child.
[. . . ]
12.That each party keep the other informed of landline and mobile telephone contact telephone number(s) and e-mail address and notify the other forthwith of any change.
Both parties to whom I shall refer as the father and the mother filed their applications on the same day, but the mother was first in time.
These proceedings revolve around the parties’ child, born in October, 2005.
It was not suggested that the orders were a problem until September.
On 23 September, 2009, the mother filed a contravention application asserting that on 11 September, 2009 between 9:00 pm. and 11:00 pm. at the property in H, the father was observed consuming alcohol during the period of 24 hours prior to his stipulated time with the child. The father denied the allegation.
Although the father’s denial was emphatic, he conceded much of the mother’s other evidence save for the consumption of alcohol.
The mother’s evidence was that at approximately 9:00 pm. on the Friday evening, in company with her partner Mr S, she drove past the home where the father was building a dwelling. She said that there were no curtains on the windows and it was near a main road.
The mother said that she observed in the driveway of the house, a work van previously driven by the father. She said she and her partner took up a vantage point in vacant land bordering the property approximately 20 metres from the dwelling. She said she could see the father inside in the dwelling in an upstairs room. She said he was standing in front of the large upstairs window drinking a bottle of Crown lager. In reality, what she meant was that she saw him drinking from a Crown lager bottle.
The mother then said that she saw the father turn off the light and came downstairs where he got into the white van but at that time, he did not have the Crown lager bottle in his hand.
She said that after rummaging around in the passenger seat, the father emerged from the vehicle with “another Crown lager”. She then telephoned “Crime Stoppers” because she was concerned that the father did not have a licence and anticipated he was going to drive off. She said he got out of the van while she was talking to “Crime Stoppers” on the telephone and “skulled” the Crown lager.
She then said that the father walked around the house “regularly” drinking from another Crown lager bottle. There was a sensor outside of the house which activated lights according to the movement of the father and thus she could see him.
The mother said that a taxi proceeded to come nearby and the father ran into the court waving his arms to get the driver’s attention but the taxi did not stop. She said that at the time he was waving at the taxi, he had a bottle of Crown lager in his hand. She said he then proceeded back to the house and was talking on his mobile telephone.
Over the period until about 11:00 pm., the mother said that she observed the father consume at least six bottles of Crown lager.
All of this evidence was corroborated by Mr S.
The father required the mother for cross-examination. He put to her that she had no “proof” that he was drinking alcohol.
The father did not require Mr S for cross-examination. There is some significance in that because he gave evidence in respect of other matters to which I shall turn below.
The father then gave evidence in defence of the contravention application. He said that he was dropped off at the house by his apprentice and he had been leaving his car at the house. This was about 5:00 pm. and he began working on the house. He said he had no refrigerator or facilities to have beer or other drinks at the house. He said a few nights before he had been working at the house and he and another person had consumed Crown lager. He said he was aware of the alcohol ban. What he was drinking from on the Friday was water which he poured into the Crown lager bottle.
In respect of the taxi incident, he said he rang a cab but he was not drinking beer and there was an explanation as to why the taxi driver did not stop because the street was a new one and not in the GPS system.
Finally, in his evidence in chief, the father said that the mother was exaggerating the circumstances for the purposes of preventing the orders being carried out.
I have the evidence of both the mother and Mr S opposed to the father. It is of some note that in earlier proceedings leading up to the orders in July 2009, I heard from psychologist, Mr L and psychiatrist, Dr E. They gave evidence at the one time in the hearing. That was almost two years ago now but the evidence was that the father had a significant alcohol problem. The father was emphatic in pointing out he had addressed all of those issues and had completed counselling.
The onus of proving a contravention lies with the applicant. The standard of proof is the balance of probabilities. The question in this case is whether it is more probable than not that someone would be drinking water from a bottle clearly identifiable as a Crown lager bottle. It is also important to note that the father did not challenge either the mother’s evidence or that of Mr S about the fact that there was more than one bottle. Their evidence was that the father had “another” bottle. That can also be seen from the fact that when the father came out of the house and went to the car, he was not carrying a bottle but surfaced from the van with one in his hand.
I am satisfied that it is more probable than not that the father was consuming alcohol that night. I do not accept his explanation that it was water that he was drinking when observed by the mother and Mr S. On that basis, the contravention application is proved to the requisite standard.
On 23 September, 2009, the father filed a contravention application against the mother. This was drawn by lawyers then acting for him. He subsequently filed a second contravention application. The second application was filed on 29 September, 2009 and also drawn by the same lawyers.
The father’s allegations against the mother were as follows :
(a)on 15 August, 2009, the mother failed to make the child available for time with the father for the weekend of 15 and 16 August, 2009;
(b)the mother failed to make the child available to spend time with him for the weekend of 12 and 13 September, 2009;
(c)the mother had refused from 14 July, 2009 to make available to him her email address despite requests to do so; and
(d)on 25/26 and 27 September, 2009 (he having obtained a certificate of occupancy for the house and also his driver’s licence) the mother failed to make the child available for time with him.
The mother through her counsel denied each of the allegations.
It became immediately apparent in cross-examination of the father that his lawyers had made a mistake in respect of the first contravention alleged. He conceded that he had contact with the child on that weekend. Notwithstanding the lawyers had made a mistake, the father had sworn the affidavit in support thereof together with the contravention application. To simply blame the lawyers does him little credit. It goes without saying therefore that the first count must be dismissed.
The third count relates to paragraph (12) of the orders made on 14 July, 2009.
Paragraph (12) clearly provides that each party is to keep the other informed of any email address and notify the other of any change. The husband’s affidavit said :
“That I have on several occasions, since the making of the orders of 14 July, 2009 by way of text messages and hand written notes requested that the respondent provide me with her email address in accordance with paragraph (12) of the orders made on 14 July. She has persistently failed to do so.”
Counsel for the mother asked the father to nominate the dates upon which these requests were made and he was unable to provide any information. He conceded that he may in the past have had the email address but he could not find it on his computer system. It is important to also note that he conceded in cross-examination that the lawyer who drafted the relevant application and affidavit did not seek to contact the solicitor for the mother to request the details. Without corroboration, I would not be prepared to accept that the father did send notes or text messages as alleged.
There is no substance therefore in the third contravention and it is dismissed.
I turn then to the remaining two alleged contraventions.
The first contravention relates to the Saturday following the Friday night referred to in which I have found that the father was seen consuming alcohol.
The mother asserted that she was entitled to deny the father contact on that weekend having regard to what she observed on the night before. The father’s response was that there was no basis to connect the contact with the drinking prohibition order. He observed that there had been no order relating to restricting his drinking until the orders in July 2009 and there was nothing in the order that allowed the mother to unilaterally preclude the contact occurring. I reject that. Having regard to the very clear evidence of Dr E and Mr L in 2008, I can understand clearly why the order in July 2009 was made. In addition and of significance, is the fact that the father consented to the order. It goes without saying that if someone was in breach of such an order and clearly so, the other parent would be entitled to treat that as a triggering mechanism to deny the contact for that particular weekend ahead. Even if that view was not a correct interpretation of the order, the father conceded the alternative position which is that the mother would be entitled to argue that she could deny his time based upon the reasonable excuse provisions to which I shall refer below.
In my view, the mother was entitled to deny the father time with the child on that weekend.
The second allegation is therefore dismissed.
The fourth allegation relates to a period a fortnight after the drinking episode. There is no question on the evidence that the father had provided to the mother evidence of having had a driver’s licence and the issue of a certificate of occupancy, although it was not entirely clear when. That information provided to the mother would have triggered the commencement of paragraph (4)(b) of the July orders.
The father’s evidence was that at 5:00 pm. or thereabouts he attended at the home of the respondent and using text messaging, endeavoured to obtain a response from the mother and was unsuccessful.
The mother’s defence to the contravention arose out of not only the drinking episode a fortnight before, but also the events that unfolded on the day after the drinking episode. The evidence of what happened on Saturday 12 September, 2009 was best set out in the evidence of Mr S. As I pointed out above, the father chose not to cross-examine Mr S. There is no reason therefore not to accept Mr S’s evidence.
Mr S said that he was at an equestrian club and the child was with him as he approached the canteen. He was approached by two males, one of whom was the father. He said the father was angry, upset and agitated. He said the child grabbed hold of his leg and was clinging tightly. He said that the father told him that he was in the wrong and was breaking the law. Mr S put the child on his hip.
When this confrontation occurred, the companion of the father commenced to film what took place. Mr S then telephoned the mother and asked her to come across to the canteen. He said he then moved away with the child in his arms and the father grabbed the back of his jumper and pulled the child and he close to him and said : “You’re going to die cunt. I’m going to kill you.”
The affidavit of Mr S went on to refer to other unsavoury things.
It is well known that conflict between parents in the presence of children has a detrimental affect upon them. The unchallenged evidence of Mr S is chilling having regard to the fact that it occurred in the presence of the child. The father’s assertion in final submission was that when he last saw the child, she was happy and saying that she would see him on the following Saturday. Whilst that may have been so, he gave no plausible evidence about what had happened at the equestrian club or any explanation for his behaviour.
Because I am satisfied that the mother had concerns about the safety of the child on the basis of the father’s history of drinking and what she saw on the Friday night, together with his appalling behaviour at the equestrian club, I find that she had a reasonable excuse for not complying with the order on the second weekend that formed the basis of the fourth contravention alleged. Accordingly, that contravention is also dismissed.
The law relating to contraventions is set out in Division 13A of the Family Law Act 1975. Section 70NAA(1) notes that the Division deals with the powers of a court with jurisdiction under the Act to make orders to enforce compliance with orders affecting children.
Section 70NAA(2) provides that a court always has the power to vary the order but in doing so, the court has to have regard to any parenting plan that has been entered into since the order was made. In this case, I am satisfied there has been no parenting plan subsequent to the July 2009 orders.
Section 60CA applies if ultimately the contravention applications are determined and the court is obliged to then decide whether to make parenting orders. Section 60CA refers to the court having regard to the best interests of the child as the paramount consideration.
I am satisfied that the mother had not provided the child pursuant to the order on the weekend of 25 September, 2009. However, for the reasons I have set out above, she had a reasonable excuse.
Section 70NAE(1) provides that the circumstances in which a person may be taken to have had a reasonable excuse for contravening an order affecting children include but are not limited to, the circumstances set out in the following sub-section. Relevantly, s.70NAE(5) reads as follows :
(5) A person (the respondent ) is taken to have had a reasonable excuse for contravening a parenting order to the extent to which it deals with whom a child is to spend time with in a way that resulted in a person and a child not spending time together as provided for in the order if:
(a) the respondent believed on reasonable grounds that not allowing the child and the person to spend time together was necessary to protect the health or safety of a person (including the respondent or the child); and
(b) the period during which, because of the contravention, the child and the person did not spend time together was not longer than was necessary to protect the health or safety of the person referred to in paragraph (a).
For the reasons I have articulated, I am satisfied objectively that the mother believed on reasonable grounds it was not appropriate to send the child to her father because it was necessary to protect her health and safety as a result of not only the drinking episode on the Friday night but the conduct at the equestrian club on the Saturday.
In respect of the father, I have found that he contravened the parenting order. The question remains what to do about that having regard to the coercive nature of Division 13A.
I find that the contravention fits within sub-division E of Division 13A of Part VII because this is the first time it has occurred. The powers of the court are set out in s.70NEB.
Having regard to what the parties have been through, attending a post-separation program would be pointless. The parties have had two years of litigation, most of which revolved around allegations by the mother of the father’s drinking. That being so, making a provision requiring the father to enter into a bond that he comply with orders would also be pointless. The father made it abundantly clear that he did not accept the finding that I have made.
Section 70NEB(1)(f) provides that one of the provisions a court can apply is for the party who committed the contravention to pay some or all of the other party’s costs. In this case, having regard to the application made by the mother for costs and the fact that I have found that the whole sequence of events emanated from the father’s behaviour, I think that is the appropriate order.
Mr. Weil of counsel on behalf of the mother said that his instructor had thought the sum of $6,000 was fair. That is not the appropriate test.
I am not in the position to determine the quantum of the costs even though that would be of assistance to the parties in avoiding the prospect of the matter coming back to court. In the circumstances the only choice I have is to make an order that the father pay the mother’s costs of these proceedings on an agreed basis and, failing agreement, then as assessed by the registrar. To avoid complicating the matter, I propose that the agreement be reached by 4:00 pm. on 1 December, 2009 failing which, the assessment process will follow.
Having determined the outcome of each of the contraventions as alleged, the court’s power to vary the orders made in July 2009 is enlivened by s.70NBA. That section provides :
(1) A court having jurisdiction under this Act may make an order varying a primary order if:
(a) proceedings in relation to the primary order are brought before a court having jurisdiction under this Act; and
(b) it is alleged in those proceedings that a person committed a contravention of the primary order and either:
(i) the court does not find that the person committed a contravention of the primary order; or
(ii) the court finds that the person committed a contravention of the primary order.
(2) If Subdivision F applies to the contravention, when making an order under subsection (1) varying a primary order, the court, in addition to regarding, under section 60CA, the best interests of the child as the paramount consideration, must, if any of the following considerations is relevant, take that consideration into account:
(a) the person who contravened the primary order did so after having attended, after having refused or failed to attend, or after having been found to be unsuitable to take any further part in, a post‑separation parenting program or a part of such a program;
(b) there was no post‑separation parenting program that the person who contravened the primary order could attend;
(c) because of the behaviour of the person who contravened the primary order, it was not appropriate, in the court's opinion, for the person to attend a post‑separation parenting program, or a part of such a program;
(d) the primary order was a compensatory parenting order made under paragraph 70NEB(1)(b) or 70NFB(2)(c) after the person had contravened a previous order under this Act affecting children.
Section 70NBA(3) provides :
(3) This section does not limit the circumstances in which a court having jurisdiction under this Act may vary a primary order.
The submissions by counsel for the mother were that the court should suspend the existing orders until the father obtained treatment for alcoholism and/or in the alternative that he have alternate Wednesdays from 10:00 am. to 4:00 pm. on condition that a vehicle which he alone would drive to and from the handover point was fitted with an interlocking device and that he would be required to start the vehicle at the commencement of any contact period and at its conclusion.
The father’s submission was unhelpful. He said it was ridiculous for that sort of order to be made because he could not and would not take the time off on a Wednesday for work reasons. He pointed to the fact he was already $80,000 in debt as a result of the proceedings and it was unnecessary anyway. He said that all of the submissions about the alcohol issue were irrelevant because the evidence of Dr E and Mr L was two years ago. He said that if I was to make orders other than the existing orders of July, I was precluding him from seeing the child and he would not be able to continue seeing her.
This is a difficult discretion to exercise because the over-riding consideration is the best interests of the child, having regard to the findings of fact that I have made about not only the father’s abuse of alcohol but also his behaviour in the presence of the child. I find he has little respect for the sensitivities of the mother or the concern of the law.
Another consideration apart from the protection of the child, is the fact that all of the evidence in July suggested that there was a good relationship between father and daughter. This is a classic example where the object of the Act of promoting a meaningful relationship with a child clashes with her health and safety. Notwithstanding the protestations of the father about having overcome all of the alcohol problems and now having received his licence back, I do not accept that I can simply ignore the problem which he created and allow the orders of July to continue. Equally however, I cannot expect the mother to observe the father for 24 hours prior to the commencement of the contact periods.
I do not know enough about the proposed interlocking device save that both parties referred to it. The father indicated that he could not drive a motor car if he had been drinking alcohol. The mother seemed content that that was right because she asked for that sort of order.
I do not think it is appropriate to change the contact day to the Wednesday because it suited the mother. To do so may give rise to a situation in which the father refrained from having any contact with the child at all and that cannot be in her best interests. The essence therefore of the orders needs to be the protection of the child from the aberrant behaviour of the father.
Because time under the orders was to have been increased and that did not occur because of the father’s behaviour, I propose to take a cautious approach and suspend paragraph (4)(a) and (4)(b) and make the daytime contact for a period of 10:00 am. on Saturday until 6:00 pm. on Saturday until the father produces a certificate from his previous counsellor (who was prepared to give evidence for him in July) indicating that she has read these reasons for judgment, tested the father and counselled him in relation to alcohol use and that the mother and the court can be confident that he is no risk at all to the child from consuming alcohol for at least a period of 24 hours prior to the proposed contact periods under any order.
In making these orders, I am very conscious of the fact that the counsellor is going to have to work with the father in circumstances where he denies consuming any alcohol on that Friday night. However on his own evidence, he consumed Crown lagers some days before. I accept the mother’s evidence about what she saw and that may place the counsellor in a dilemma of dealing with the father in circumstances where he protests his innocence. That issue will need to be dealt with in the counselling certificate to indicate to the mother that the counsellor is conscious of the findings and that the father has no alcohol problem. I am also conscious of the fact that the evidence of the experts given to me in 2008 was that abstention from alcohol was a critical factor in determining whether there was a problem. On the basis that the certificate can be provided indicating there is no further risk of consumption of alcohol, I propose that the first weekend thereafter be the resumption of paragraph (4)(b) of the orders but only again on the basis that on the commencement of the period of time, the father drives his vehicle to the collection point, turns the engine off and with the vehicle fitted with an interlocking device, starts the car in the presence of the mother or her nominee before the child is handed to the father. The same needs to be repeated in the presence of the nominee of the mother at the conclusion of the contact period. This rather intrusive process is to continue until such time as the parties agree otherwise into the future.
I also intend to make an order that if the father fails the test as described, the provisions of paragraph (4) of the orders of 14 July, 2009 are automatically suspended and will only be revived upon application to the court.
I propose also to reserve liberty to the parties to apply to clarify the orders that I have in mind.
I certify that the preceding sixty-eight (68) paragraphs are a true copy of the reasons for judgment of the Honourable Justice Cronin
Associate:
Date: 26 October 2009
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