A Supreme Court judge who assaulted and emotionally abused his then-partner has been sentenced to 100 hours of community service.
The punishment is part of a 12-month community corrections order made on Thursday by Tasmanian Judge Gregory Geason in the Hobart Magistrates Court.
Geason was previously found guilty of assaulting a woman on October 31, 2023 at a Hobart home and of one count of emotional abuse or intimidation spanning a period of months.
The 63-year-old man, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges, was found to have grabbed, shook and pushed the woman, causing her to fall onto a fireplace mantel and suffer bruising and a concussion.
Geason was also found to be following her movements and being verbally abusive, aggressive and jealous.
Magistrate Susan Wakeling on Thursday described the assault as a serious offense and said the emotional abuse was “not of a lower level”.
He sentenced Geason to 100 hours of community service and recorded a conviction.
Tasmanian Supreme Court Justice Gregory Geason (red tie) has been found guilty of assaulting and emotionally abusing his girlfriend.
‘His moral culpability… is high. “His love for her does not mitigate his breach of trust,” Mrs Wakeling said.
“He has shown no remorse… even after being found guilty.”
Geason must also continue treatment for his mental health and not leave Tasmania unless given permission by a probation officer.
Geason’s lawyer, Fabiano Cangelosi, said in court Tuesday that his client intended to resign and believed he no longer had the moral authority to continue serving as a judge.
“The destruction of his public image and professional life is total,” he said.
Wakeling previously found the woman to be a truthful witness and ruled that Geason’s account of the assault, in which he said she tripped, was implausible.
The woman told the court she spent months in hospital after the assault and was unable to work for eight months.
Since then he installed cameras around his home and was often “looking over his shoulder”, he said in a statement to the court via video link.
In a separate matter, Geason pleaded guilty in a New South Wales court to breaching a detained violence order and is expected to be sentenced in December.