A bitter split between a Sydney mayor and her property manager ex has turned ugly, with both parties serving interim apprehended domestic violence orders against each other.
Hawkesbury mayor Sarah McMahon alleged to police that her ex-partner Matthew Bennett pinned her to a bed and knocked her off her feet. She also accused him of smashing up furniture.
While police served Bennett with an ADVO, he has not been criminally charged, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
There are also separate claims that Cr McMahon went to Bennett’s office at night to go through his computer after she suspected him of cheating.
Cr McMahon, who ran as the Liberal candidate in the federal seat of Lindsay in Sydney’s west at the last election, was also served with her own ADVO. She too has not been criminally charged.
ADVO documents released by Windsor Local Court detailed the couple’s relationship, which lasted for six years until late 2023 when their partnership became ‘on-again-off-again’.
It was alleged that Bennett punched a hole in a wall when the couple were living together in their Richmond home in Sydney’s north-west from March 2019 to Easter 2022.
The couple moved to another Richmond address in 2022, where Cr McMahon alleged that Bennett punched a hole in a wall, kicked a wooden panel out from a desk and smashed a clothes divider.
Hawkesbury mayor Sarah McMahon (pictured) claimed her ex-partner Matthew Bennett (right), a property director, smashed furniture and pinned her to a bed
Ms McMahon (pictured) was served with her own interim ADVO, after she allegedly went through her ex-partner’s laptop to find evidence he was cheating
She also claimed more than $1,000 worth of damage was caused.
There was also an allegation made against Bennett that sometime in 2023 he had swung a Nike bag at his then-partner, which knocked her down and hurt her thigh.
He then yelled at her to ‘get up and stop faking it’.
Bennett allegedly threw a glass against a kitchen wall during an argument last month.
In a separate incident, he allegedly pinned Cr McMahon to a bed while he shouted at her.
Cr McMahon reported the alleged incidents to police earlier this month.
Bennett has been ordered under the interim ADVO that he must not assault, threaten, stalk, harass or intimidate the mayor or anyone else she may have a domestic relationship with, as well as not damaging their property.
Cr McMahon was served with her own interim ADVO which named Bennett as needing protection.
The ADVO documents state that the mayor had allegedly gone to Bennett’s mother’s home, as well as his sister’s on June 14, searching for him as she suspected he was having an affair.
Cr McMahon allegedly sent a photo of his sister’s home on WhatsApp at 8.02am and then went to his friend’s home in Castlereagh.
The mayor spent more than an hour looking for Bennett and then allegedly went to his office in Richmond and entered through an unlocked door.
She allegedly scoured through his laptop to try and find evidence he had been cheating on her.
The mayor then allegedly sent a photo to Bennett of his laptop, which made him check his CCTV security cameras to see if she was inside the premises.
Police were called and Cr McMahon was arrested at the scene.
The Hawkesbury mayor (pictured) and Mr Bennett were together for six years before they started an ‘on-again-off-again’ relationship
Bennett told police he feared for his safety, but he did not give them a statement because ne did not want to harm the mayor’s career.
But he added that didn’t want the mayor to have any contact with him or be allowed to visit him.
Cr McMahon’s interim ADVO had an additional constraint to Bennett’s – that she mustn’t approach or contact him unless it is through a lawyer.
Both ADVO matters were heard at Windsor Local Court, where the mayor’s lawyer said she would fight a final ADVO being made when the matter returns to court on August 1.
The former couple had come into the spotlight in the past when Cr McMahon was investigated when she told the NSW Electoral Commission she didn’t have links to a property developer – even though Bennett was the co-owner of a property business.
But the NSW Office of Local Government found Bennett did not fit the definition of a property developer and that the mayor had not breached the councillor’s code of conduct.
Cr McMahon wasn’t at Tuesday night’s council meeting, where her deputy blocked a no-confidence motion against the mayor
Daily Mail Australia has contacted both Cr McMahon and Bennett for comment.
