Brendan Lionel Howe: Award winning builder admits assault on pregnant wife and horrific verbal abuse

An award-winning Canberra builder who once counted Governor-General David Hurley among his clients has pleaded guilty to multiple domestic violence charges.

Brendan Lionel Howe, 35, came to public attention two years ago when Mr Hurley appeared in a video testimonial for his company, Homes by Howe.

Mr Hurley quickly apologized for the “error” and said the testimony was made “in the spur of the moment” after Homes by Howe carried out renovations to his private home in Canberra.

But far from the smiling photo with the Governor General and his wife Linda – who are not accused of any wrongdoing – Howe had subjected his wife to horrific abuse behind closed doors between 2018 and 2022.

Howe, whose company website boasts of being “an award-winning custom homebuilder trusted by Canberra families”, pleaded guilty to family violence charges in the ACT Supreme Court this week, reports said The Daily Telegraph.

Brendan Lionel Howe (pictured left) came to public attention two years ago when Governor General David Hurley (pictured center) appeared in a video testimonial for his company. Mr. Hurley’s wife, Linda, is pictured at right.

On Wednesday, the victim told the court that she lived in fear of Howe for years and that he once called their unborn child “that little bastard inside you.”

Howe’s former wife said she cried for half an hour a police station parking lot before going inside to file a report, which she said was like “lighting a match and setting your own life on fire.”

“You see it burning before your eyes and at the same time you are absolutely terrified of what is to come,” she said in her victim impact statement.

The four charges Howe pleaded guilty to are aggravated common assault, property damage and two counts of common assault.

The first attack occurred when the victim took one of their dogs away from Howe to prevent him from squeezing the pimples.

Howe then pushed her against a cupboard and said: ‘I pay for those dogs, so I’ll do what I want.’

In the second attack, in October 2021, Howe shouted “I’m going to kill you” at his wife.

The following month he committed property damage by hitting and denting a kitchen door.

In September 2022, when his wife was 34 weeks pregnant, Howe, who was drunk, pushed her against the bedroom door and screamed in her face.

“If you and that little bastard inside you can’t see that I’m the boss and if I want to talk about something, I’m going to fucking talk about it.

“And she will know that and you will know that,” Howe roared, holding his wife by the shoulders, according to the agreed facts in the case.

“I rule across the board in this house. You should worship the damn ground I walk on. You’re a fucking bitch. You’re a mutt. “I’m the boss,” he said.

The victim reported Howe to police in November 2022 and he was arrested and spent a night in custody.

On Wednesday the victim told the ACT Supreme Court (pictured) that she lived in fear of Howe for years

Howe’s wife said he could “go from zero to 100 in an instant” and said the final attack left her wondering “what if this is the end?”

After the September 2022 attack, she said there wasn’t a day she didn’t fall to the shower floor in tears and that she was “completely heartbroken and beyond stressed.”

Prosecutor David Swan has asked that Howe be jailed for his crimes. He said in a letter to the court that he had shown “a lack of empathy for the victim.”

Howe will be sentenced by Judge Louise Taylor on Thursday morning.