Jone Sito: 59-year-old with no prior record fined for slapping wife after church because of baptism argument

A man slapped his wife after a church service because she did not want to be baptised, a Geraldton court has been told.

Jone Sito, 59, appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to common assault in circumstances of aggravation.

The court was told on Saturday, February 10 about 12.30pm, Sito was driving home from a church service with his wife and three children.

When they arrived home, the couple began arguing, fighting because the woman did not want to be baptised.

Police prosecutor Sgt Ross Gray said Sito slapped his wife in the face during the argument.

The court heard the woman felt fear and sought help from her next door neighbour. who contacted police.

Sgt Gray said Sito told officers he slapped her because “she didn’t want to get baptised and I wanted her to”.

Defence lawyer Sabrina Maine said Sito had fully co-operated with police and, in his own words, he “won’t do it again”.

She said he was a father of five children, aged between one and 16, who had recently lost his job and was experiencing health issues.

Ms Maine said Sito’s wife worked three days a week and their household was feeling the pinch with limited income.

She asked the court to consider a spent conviction so it would not interfere with Sito’s job hunting.

Magistrate Matthew Walton said Sito’s reaction was “bewildering”, given he was a religious man with no previous criminal history.

He said Sito had offended as a result of “clearly strong views in relation to baptism”, and while he was free to have views, he could not force them on other people.

Although Mr Walton said a spent conviction was rarely appropriate for cases of domestic violence, he noted Sito had a desire to get back into work.

Sito received a $500 fine and was granted a spent conviction.

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