The Launceston Magistrates Court in Australia sentenced Hay on 25/7 for abuse and assault. The offenses occurred between January 2014 and November 2022 against her husband, Troy Shane Richardson.
The couple met in 2009 at an event and married in 2012. Richardson described their initial relationship as "rosy," but things deteriorated around 2013 after the birth of their second child.
During a 2014 trip to Melbourne, Richardson testified that Hay repeatedly hit him in the face with a shoe while he was driving because he "hadn't done something right." She also threw a bowl of cereal at his face during their return to Tasmania and called him "useless, pathetic, and a loser."
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Former Miss Australia, Kathryn Isobel Hay, was sentenced for nine years of domestic abuse. Photo: Mercury |
Former Miss Australia, Kathryn Isobel Hay, was sentenced for nine years of domestic abuse. Photo: Mercury
Richardson told the court that his wife threatened violence at least weekly and would give him a list of chores. "If it wasn't done correctly, I would be hit. If it was done, she would give me another list," he explained. "She would often pick fights in public just to humiliate me." He also reported a black eye from a punch in 2020.
In December 2021, police arrested Hay for allegedly slapping her husband for taking a corner too fast. She was subsequently issued a family violence restraining order. In Australia, such orders can prohibit offenders from coming within a certain distance of the victim for a specific period.
However, Hay later pressured Richardson to apply for the order's removal and forced him to email her siblings, claiming that "everything was his fault."
During a 79-minute phone call, Hay dictated what Richardson should write in the application, including false accusations of infidelity, hacking her phone and computer, and bugging her car.
Richardson told the court he now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe anxiety, while their children are struggling with emotional distress. He expressed fear that no one would believe his account of the abuse.
Hay wept throughout the trial but pleaded not guilty, claiming her husband was the abusive and controlling one. She denied physical violence but admitted to occasional "coarse language." Hay alleged that Richardson was sometimes physically abusive, coercive, and financially controlling, requiring her to ask permission to spend money.
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The former beauty queen pleaded not guilty to domestic abuse, admitting only to occasional use of coarse language. Photo: ABC |
The former beauty queen pleaded not guilty to domestic abuse, admitting only to occasional use of coarse language. Photo: ABC
The magistrate found the majority of the details against Hay credible, describing her behavior as a serious example of domestic violence. The court acknowledged Richardson's suffering, stating that living with Hay must have been extremely difficult.
While the court noted that Hay hadn't "truly grasped the extent of her wrongdoing," it also considered her childhood marred by family violence, recognizing its impact on her psychology and adult behavior.
Hay's lawyer said she is currently living in a homeless shelter for women and is pursuing self-improvement through free courses due to financial constraints.
Hay was crowned Miss Tasmania and Miss Australia in 1999. She served in the Tasmanian Parliament from 2002 to 2006, becoming the first Aboriginal woman elected to the state's parliament.
Hai Thu (ABC, The Nightly)
