EXCLUSIVE
A disgraced building manager who threatened to kill his pregnant wife and named his unborn daughter a horrible name admits he is “disgusted” by his behaviour as he tries to launch a new business.
Brendan Lionel Howe, 37, pleaded guilty in June to one count of aggravated assault, two counts of common assault and one count of damaging property during a four-year campaign of abuse against his ex-wife.
The ACT Supreme Court heard he pinned her against a wall when she was 34 weeks pregnant and, in front of their toddler son, shouted: “I rule this house. You should worship the f***ing ground I walk on. You’re a f***ing bitch. You’re a stray.”
“If you and that little idiot inside you can’t see that I’m the boss and when I want to talk about something, I’m going to talk about it, and she’s going to know it and so are you.”
He walked out of court with a seven-month fully suspended prison sentence, a one-year good-behavior bond, a $1,800 fine and 50 hours of community service, and promptly hopped on a plane to Bali for a five-day stay.
Daily Mail Australia understands that Howe was only able to launch his successful construction business, Homes By Howe, because he received 50 per cent of the funding from his then father-in-law.
It can also be revealed that Howe has now registered a new business name, Prvn Projects Pty Ltd. The Homes By Howe office has been subdivided and two-thirds of the original space is now available for rent.
Their former Homes By Howe office has been vacated (pictured) and rented by another company.
Brendan Howe (pictured) threatened to kill his ex-wife and called their unborn daughter a “c**ch”
Brendan Howe (pictured) has quietly started a new business called Prvn Projects Pty Ltd
A close friend of Howe told the Daily Mail Australia that the father of two regrets turning to violence and has had several psychological sessions to be able to see his daughters again.
“He wants to maintain a relationship with his children, he is upset by his own reaction, he is devastated and we have worked hard to help him move on,” she said.
Howe began working with his then-wife’s father and founded Homes By Howe in 2017, following the collapse of his former business Twenty20 Projects.
In 2019, the business became very successful and Howe bought out his father-in-law, thus gaining full control of the company.
Howe’s friend said his new business, Prvn Projects Pty Ltd, is separate from Homes By Howe.
He also said Homes By Howe is still taking reservations.
During sentencing in June, Judge Louise Taylor said the business had generated “significant income” but he had fallen into debt since their relationship broke down due to legal fees and child support.
His ex-wife cried and shook uncontrollably as she gave her victim impact statement, telling the court: “I was always the woman who said, ‘I will never be with a man who abuses me.'”
“When you pinned me against our bedroom door at 34 weeks pregnant, in front of (our daughter), time stood still. I couldn’t believe it was happening and that the man I loved, the father of my children, could kill me.
Brendan Howe (pictured) received funding from his father-in-law to start his construction business.
Brendan Howe is pictured outside Homes By Howe before the office closed earlier this month.
“I tolerated this behavior for so many years because I loved you so much and longed for our family unit. I never wanted any of this. I was also afraid of what you would do if I left. I was afraid you would follow through on your threats.”
She said Howe continually blamed her for his abuse, saying she deserved it because he earned the money and had anger issues, and told the court he never apologized to her.
Days later, she skipped supervised visits with her young son to take a trip to Bali.
Homes By Howe appeared to operate normally in his absence, but public records show he registered his new business Prvn Projects Pty Ltd on July 3.
On Tuesday, his former office was empty with a new “rented” sticker on the front window.
Judge Taylor described Howe’s comments about his unborn child as “truly horrific”, acknowledged his wife’s trauma and found he had shown no genuine remorse.
“He’s sad for himself,” he said.
‘Acts of violence, generally committed by men against their female partners, are a common phenomenon in this jurisdiction and throughout the country.’
She said such crimes have “life-altering consequences” and it is rare that any sentence imposed by a court in such a case will help victims simply move on and repair their lives.
However, he found that he was motivated to change and had good prospects for rehabilitation.
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