Perth man accused of domestic violence murder hangs head as he faces court
The man accused of bashing to death mother-of-three Tiffany Woodley in her Bedford home on Monday has appeared in Perth Magistrates Court charged with her murder.
Peter Damjanovic, 37, was arrested by police at the home he shared with his on-again, off-again partner after he made the triple-zero call to authorities just before 5pm.
Peter Damjanovic (inset, top) has faced court for the first time since being charged with the murder of his ex-partner and mother of his two children, Tiffany Woodley (inset, bottom).
On arrival, officers and paramedics were faced with what WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges said was “horrific and confronting scene”, finding Woodley “severely injured and unresponsive”.
Police said they did not believe a weapon was used in the assault.
On Wednesday, Damjanovic did not look up and kept a hand over his face as Magistrate Catherine Crawford read out the charge against him.
She told him bail would not be considered and that he would be remanded in custody until a hearing at Stirling Magistrates Court on August 30, where he will appear via video link.
Woodley’s family, some of whom attended the hearing, gathered outside the court.
Woodley is the second woman to die, allegedly at the hands of an ex-partner, in as many weeks.
On July 27, Georgia Lyall was killed in her South Guildford home by her ex-partner Luke Noormets, who took his own life hours later.
Noormets was also the father of their five-year-old son.
The incidents and recent police figures have sparked concern over the rising number of domestic violence deaths plaguing WA.
Last financial year in WA, family assaults and threatening behaviour within a family context rose by more than 15 per, cent with almost 3000 incidents reported to police in June alone.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show WA has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in the country.
Domestic violence advocacy groups will convene a crisis meeting on Wednesday following Woodley’s sudden death.
Centre for Women’s Wellbeing and Safety chief executive Alison Evans told Radio 6PR the round table would push for the state government to commit to adequately funding domestic violence prevention and support services.
“As you know, it is a crisis, not just in WA, across Australia, and we do need the government to show leadership on this, and we need the premier to show leadership on this,” she said.
“We know [the key pillars of action] are prevention, early intervention, crisis response and recovery, but we get by on the smell of an oily rag in the crisis response, and we’re running on empty in the prevention, early intervention and recovery stages.
“So long as we’re not putting the investment in where it needs to be put then there’s no way we can say we’re doing enough to stop murders from occurring.”
Support is available from Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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