Former Tasmanian mixed martial arts fighter Dan Hyatt guilty of domestic violence, emotional abuse

Daniel James Hyatt appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Monday following a lengthy hearing into allegations of physical and emotional abuse towards his former teenage girlfriend.

The 29-year-old pleaded not guilty to assaulting his then 17-year-old partner on six separate occasions in 2016, including kicking her in the back, punching her to the face, choking her and “torturing” her by putting a pillow case over her head.

The hearing started late last year and continued until last week, with Magistrate Sharon Cure delivering her decision on Monday afternoon.

Ms Cure found all charges against Hyatt had been proved.

Hyatt then pleaded guilty to charges involving two other women.

The court heard Hyatt assaulted another ex-girlfriend in front of the couple’s toddler last year, slapping her in the face, striking her to the head, kicking her in the ribs and pepper sprayed her in the face.

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The couple were in a relationship at the same time Hyatt was dating the teenage girl and the court heard he was controlling and manipulative towards both women.

During the hearing last week, Hyatt told the court he wanted the “best of both worlds”.

After the mother of his child ended the relationship, Hyatt threatened to kill her on a number of occasions and threatened to upload videos of her to pornographic websites.

At one point, he messaged her and said “I’m not going to hurt you, that would be too easy, I’m going to hurt your loved ones”.

A third girlfriend, who the court was told Hyatt dated for about five months, contacted police when he became “violent” after accusing her of cheating on him.

Hyatt and the woman were in a car together when he became aggressive and punched an air vent, smashed a screen in the centre console and ripped the rear vision mirror from the roof.  

The couple went inside a house after Hyatt apologised, but then he continued to accuse her of cheating on him and demanded she give him her phone.

Hyatt then grabbed a razor, cut himself and started writing on the wall with his own blood before smashing the woman’s phone into his head three times then smashing it against the wall.

Hyatt also pleaded guilty to breaching bail and breaching police and family violence orders on Monday.

His lawyer, Grant Tucker, said his client battled mental health issues, depression and anxiety and was on medication. Magistrate Sharon Cure ordered a psychiatric report and the matters were adjourned until March 15.

Hyatt was remanded in custody.