A former partner of a domestic violence thug who allegedly threatened her with a machete and crushed another ex-lover with a baseball bat has lashed out at him after he avoided deportation.
Leroy Wilton, 35, faced deportation from Australia and his native New Zealand after admitting he brutally attacked an ex-girlfriend in Orange, New South Wales, in March 2023.
Since 2009, Wilton, who moved to Australia as a child, has been convicted of a series of assault and domestic violence (DV) charges, as well as driving offences.
Three different women have sought restraining orders against him, and last year he beat an ex-partner, identified as Mrs. D, with a baseball bat after falsely accusing her of cheating on him.
But despite growing concerns about domestic violence attacks in Australia, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) took pity on Wilton last week and allowed him to remain in the country.
Now Daily Mail Australia can reveal the ordeal another ex-partner suffered at the hands of Wilton during her four-year abusive relationship with him.
At one point, she claims Wilton held a machete to her throat while terrorizing her.
Leroy Wilton (pictured right) was convicted of assaulting his ex-partner
Another victim of Kiwi-born Leroy Wilton (pictured) says she was attacked with a machete to her throat during their relationship.
“I tried to get an AVO against him for years but I was always told that without evidence I couldn’t do it,” said the woman, who did not want to be named.
“Leroy had threatened to hurt my entire family if I didn’t stay with him.”
The woman says that every time Wilton had friends over to her house, she was locked in her room for long periods of time.
And the reign of terror would accelerate if other men tried to chat with her.
“If any of their male friends talked to me, they would abuse me, threaten me and accuse me of cheating on them,” she said.
‘He also held a machete to my throat and told me he was going to kill me and himself.
“It wasn’t until he broke my arm that I was able to get an AVO against him because I had a friend who witnessed the incident.”
Wilton is understood to have fathered five children (including one who died in childbirth) by various women.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Monday, another ex-couple who shares a 17-year-old son with Wilton said he was angered by recent media interest in his deportation case.
Leroy Wilton was found guilty of a series of domestic violence offenses at Orange Local Court
He is the father of four children with several women.
“It’s not the truth,” he snapped.
“He focuses on his mental health and has nothing to say.”
The AAT ruled against deporting Wilton last week despite his failure to follow court orders, including a promise to work on his mental health.
Police documents referred to by the court revealed that Wilton assaulted Ms D after believing she had deceived him.
He falsely accused her of infidelity after she didn’t return home one night, which he later explained was because she was working.
He admitted grabbing Ms D by the neck, lifting her into the air and throwing her across the room before standing over her and throwing punches to her face.
Wilton then hit Ms. D with a baseball bat he had left under the bed before she was able to escape to a friend’s house.
He was convicted of several offenses of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking/intimidation and destruction of property.
Wilton already had convictions for other domestic violence charges involving another woman years earlier.
Wilton’s first DV charge was for common assault in 2015 before a charge of destruction/damage to property in 2017.
He would go on to breach a stopped violence order before being charged with several incidents of stalking/intimidating with intent to cause bodily harm and destruction/damage to property charges between April 2020 and January 2021.
Wilton’s extensive criminal record and his imprisonment of more than 12 months for the 2023 conviction meant he no longer meets the character test to remain in Australia.
Wilton (pictured right) swung the bat at Mrs. D. The bloodied and bruised woman escaped to a friend’s house.
The 35-year-old was flagged for deportation after being sentenced to at least a year in prison following the incident in Orange, New South Wales (pictured), but is allowed to remain in Australia.
“The plaintiff has continued to reoffend and has committed acts of family violence against different partners,” reads the AAT resolution.
“In addition, (Wilton’s) conduct falls within what the Directorate considers serious, such as violent crimes, crimes of a violent nature against women and acts of family violence.”
The AAT also heard evidence that Wilton had been affected by domestic violence, alcoholism and use of drugs such as ice (methamphetamine) as a child.
Wilton also argued that her use of ice intensified in 2012 to “numb” the pain of her dead daughter’s death.
He has stopped using drugs since being in prison and “his intention is to remain sober”, the AAT heard.
Wilton’s mother and two of his former partners also testified that he should stay in Australia to support his children.
Although the court noted that “the Australian community hopes that the Australian government does not revoke the cancellation of (Wilton’s) visa”, he was allowed to remain in Australia.
‘Taking into account all the relevant material before it, the court is satisfied that the correct and preferable decision is to revoke the mandatory cancellation of the applicant’s visa.’