A celebrity chef who punched and shoved his girlfriend to the ground has escaped jail, despite a magistrate finding he could have walked away from the situation.
On Monday, Magistrate Justin Wickens told Leonardo Moreira Loureiro, former head chef at acclaimed Adelaide restaurant Nina, that he had been in a position of physical dominance over his partner, food influencer Brenda Loveday.
The Brazilian-born 33-year-old and Ms Loveday had been out to dinner with friends in July 2024, when an argument erupted at their Airbnb.
‘You were in a position of dominance as it relates to physical strength in comparison to (Ms Loveday),’ Mr Wickens said, according to the The Advertiser.
‘You could have used that imbalance to push past her, to move her to the side, or to take some other form of action to remove yourself from the situation you clearly did not want to be in.
‘You did not need to push her to the floor, you did not need to punch her.’
Inside a shared bedroom, Loureiro pushed Ms Loveday to the ground, causing her to hit her head, and punched her in the abdomen after she tried to calm him.
‘I accept that your actions on this evening were born out of frustration at the situation. Frustration may be a precursor, but is never an excuse to resort to violence,’ Mr Wickens said.
Chef Leonardo Moreira Loureiro (pictured) escaped jail after assaulting his ex-partner
Brenda Loveday (right) said that Loureiro (left) mentally and physically abused her
Ms Loveday told the court Loureiro had ‘tried to destroy her’ and ‘stripped away’ the person she once was.
She said the abuse went beyond physical violence, alleging he had cut her off from friends, the same friends who ultimately ‘saved’ her by contacting SA Police.
After the assault, Ms Loveday said Loureiro made a chilling remark.
‘Damn, I thought you were dead, you are such a good actress,’ she said he told her, before filming her ‘to humiliate me and make me look unstable.’
Nine months later, in April this year, Loureiro pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault without a weapon.
A second charge of choking, suffocating or strangling was withdrawn by prosecutors.
Following his guilty plea, he left his role at Nina restaurant, while Ms Loveday received widespread public support from fellow social media
Brenda Loveday (pictured) was attacked by Loureiro during a fight while staying at an Airbnb
The chef was sentenced to one month and six days in prison, reduced by 24 days to account for time served in custody after his arrest.
The term was suspended on a $500, 12-month good behaviour bond due to his ‘immediate’ remorse and efforts to seek psychological help.
Nina, which was co-founded by Loureiro, Loveday and Jessica Purcell, is now run solely by Ms Purcell.
‘Recent events involving a former co-founder of Niña have understandably drawn public attention,’ Ms Purcell said in May.
‘I want to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, whilst also affirming my commitment to the team, our guests, and the values we uphold at Niña.’
Loureiro is a well-known chef who has worked alongside several high-profile culinary figures, including Matt Moran (ARIA), Jock Zonfrillo (Orana), and Massimo Bottura (Osteria), according to a post from Le Cordon Bleu, where he trained.
