Scott Andrew Minigle, who was involved in a tragic incident leading to the death of his partner, Jodie Lovell, received a court warning against alcohol consumption for life but avoided jail time for his actions. In May 2020, Lovell, a mother of two, fell from the 10th-floor balcony of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Sydney, after being locked out on the balcony for 20 minutes while Minigle searched her phone for messages from an ex-boyfriend.
During the court proceedings, Judge Sarah Huggett acknowledged Minigle’s actions but noted that he could not have foreseen Lovell’s fall. Consequently, she described the seriousness of the offence as being on the lower end of the scale, leading to a sentence of a good behaviour bond rather than imprisonment. The incident occurred amid a history of Minigle’s struggles with alcoholism, which he has since begun addressing through rehabilitation programs.
More than three years post-incident, Minigle was charged with domestic violence-related offences, specifically taking or detaining a person with intent to gain advantage. Interestingly, had he not reported the incident to the police himself, these charges may not have been brought forward. There were no witnesses to suggest that Lovell was calling for help during the incident, and when police responded, the door to the balcony was already unlocked.
Justice Huggett classified the event as spontaneous and unplanned, clarifying that Lovell was not attempting to escape violence at the moment of her death. While the judge noted Minigle’s substantial steps towards recovery from alcohol dependency, she emphasised the need for continuous efforts in his rehabilitation. As part of his one-year community corrections order, he will undergo regular blood and urine testing and must maintain participation in support services for alcoholism.
Recognising his cooperation with law enforcement, the sentence included a 20% discount. Justice Huggett highlighted the importance of Minigle understanding that he must never drink alcohol again, recommending that his abstinence should be a self-enforced lifetime commitment.
Support for individuals facing domestic violence or alcohol-related issues is available through various services, including the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service (1800RESPECT), the National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline (1800 250 015), and Lifeline (13 11 14).