Anton James Versaci ignores call for legal advice before pleading guilty to string of assault charges

A South West man ignored legal advice before pleading guilty to a string of domestic violence charges, including aggravated stalking and threatening to kill, after he was refused bail for a second time. Anton James Versaci, 27, appeared in Bunbury Magistrates court via video link from custody self-representing for a bail application. Versaci was on 12 charges including breach of a family violence restraining order, threatening to kill in circumstances of aggravation, threatening unlawful acts and aggravated stalking. The 27-year-old pleaded with the Magistrate that he was deeply sorry to the court and his family and had “learnt his lesson”. Magistrate Belinda Coleman opposed Versaci’s bail application because there were “no conditions put in place” that would stop him from re-offending and “interfering with the complainant”. He asked the court if he could make pleas if he was refused bail, to which Magistrate Coleman told him he should consider legal advice before making his pleas. Versaci ignored the call for legal advice and pleaded guilty to all 12 charges in front of the court. Between August 8 and November 8 this year in Bunbury, Versaci made ongoing threats to a woman with whom he was in a family relationship. On August 4, the man threatened to kill her. On October 25, Versaci threatened to unlawfully harm the woman in circumstances of aggravation. On multiple days in November, the man again threatened to harm the woman and breached a violence restraining order she had against him. Magistrate Coleman ordered a pre-sentence report for Versaci and remanded him in custody until January 20.