‘Toxic’: Man’s controlling behaviour and abuse before his ex-wife killed him revealed in text messages
Text messages revealed a man’s controlling behavior before his ex-wife lost control and killed him; The man physically assaulted her in the months before he hit her with a car, the court heard.
Samantha Hooker admitted stomping her ex-husband Peter Hooker to death in Western Sydney on August 8, 2023.
The man said, “Are you trying to kill me?” he was heard asking. Before his ex-wife ran him over, Mrs Hooker had replied: “Right, am I an idiot? I’m going to run you over”.
Hooker’s ex-husband was hospitalized after the ordeal but died after being discharged from the hospital due to complications from his surgery after suffering an infection.
Hooker pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was found not guilty of murder during a High Court trial earlier this year after his legal team argued the partial defense of extreme provocation and mental impairment following what Hooker described as years of domestic violence.
He will spend at least three months behind bars after being sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.
Hooker will be eligible for parole on September 22, 2026, as Judge Hament Dhanji cited the backdate of his sentence and took into account the special circumstances and time spent in custody when imposing the sentence.
Judge Dhanji found Mr Hooker physically assaulted his ex-wife on one occasion in June 2023, describing the pair’s relationship as “toxic” and detailing Mr Hooker’s controlling behavior to the NSW Supreme Court on Friday.
The two broke up in late 2022, and although Hooker initially wanted to continue their relationship, he gave up trying to save the relationship around April 2023.
In May, Mr Hooker sought to rekindle their relationship and began sending “jealous messages” to his ex-wife accusing her of having a sexual relationship with another man.
Judge Dhanji told the court she called police the following month to say he had tried to kick in her bedroom door and “wanted to smash her face and threatened to destroy her property”.
A domestic violence arrest warrant (ADVO) was served on him, preventing him from coming within 50 metres, when Judge Dhanji told the court Mr Hooker said: “I’m going home whether you like it or not” and “tell that c-t to get the hell out of my house” after he was served the order.
Mr Hooker continued to send abusive messages in the weeks before he was killed; Judge Dhanji told the court that his ex-wife also sent harsh messages but mostly tried to manage the situation and encourage her ex-husband to get help.
“Based on the evidence of their interactions, it can be said that the relationship was toxic,” Justice Dhanji told the court. he said.
The messages show Mr Hooker continuing to attend his ex-wife’s home in breach of the ADVO and against Hooker’s wishes, subjecting her to “emotional manipulation” and threats when she “did not do what he wanted”.
Judge Dhanji told the court: “There were threats of physical violence and damage to property… messages meant to control behavior… there were offensive and derogatory messages.”
‘Bastard’: Woman’s words before killing her ex-husband
On 8 August 2023, despite the ADVO, Mr Hooker went to his ex-wife’s house and took her television from her bedroom.
He tried to call her 46 times over a period of about 20 minutes after learning that she had gone to his house and left work early to confront him.
A series of arguments ensued during which Hooker repeatedly hit her ex-husband and pursued him in his car as he tried to drive away.
An eyewitness said Mr Hooker’s tires were “squeaking” as he drove towards her ex-husband, while Mr Hooker at one point jumped over a metal pedestrian barrier to escape.
She was yelling things like “bastard” from the car, while Hooker was yelling things like “bastard” and “leave me alone” and “go and sleep with whoever you want to sleep with” before running him over and pinning him against the wall of a house with his car.
While she was taken to hospital with serious injuries, Hooker was found unconscious in her car and immediately expressed concern for her ex-husband.
Mr Hooker was discharged from hospital on August 17 but was later found dead, having died from an infection resulting from abdominal injuries sustained while being run over by one of his flatmates.
Judge Dhanji found Hooker was remorseful for his actions. He also found that there was a high degree of provocation before killing her ex-husband and that her mental health had deteriorated so much that she could not control her anger on the day of the crime.
Judge Dhanji stressed that the judgment was strictly against Hooker, not her ex-husband, despite evidence that “painted her in a bad light” and said that although the circumstances of the crime “required considerable sympathy”, Hooker was still responsible for the death of another human being.
“It is important not to lose sight of the nature of Ms Hooker’s criminal conduct,” he said.
“Mr Hooker’s life was precious and now it is lost.
“The court extends its condolences to those who knew and loved Mr. Hooker.”
More to come
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