Adam Schipkie pleads guilty to reckless conduct endangering life

A man with a history of avoiding police was on bail for dishonesty offences when he strangled a woman, court documents reveal.

Adam Schipkie. Picture: Facebook

A man with an extensive criminal history was on bail for dishonesty offences when he strangled a woman in her own home, court documents reveal.

Adam Neil Schipkie, 39, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill, reckless conduct endangering life, theft, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime and drug possession.

According to documents released by the court, Schipkie and the complainant got into an argument on March 10.

Schipkie yelled at the complainant that when he received his father’s inheritance, he was going to “buy a gun and kill the complainant and his own mother”, court documents state.

Schipkie grabbed the woman’s arms and forcibly pushed her into a bedroom.

Once inside, he grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the bed, forcefully strangling her with both hands.

According to police, the complainant said she did not lose consciousness, “but it was difficult to breathe”.

During the assault, Schipkie threatened the woman, telling her: “I f--king hate you, you’re f--king dead”.

The complainant was in fear for her life and believed Schipkie could kill her, court documents state.

The woman was left with bruising on both arms and a sore throat, making it difficult to swallow and sleep.

When interviewed by police, Schipkie denied physically touching or assaulting the woman.

At the time, Schipkie was on bail after being arrested following a police raid of a Grovedale home on August 14, 2023.

A ziplock bag of green vegetable matter believed to be cannabis was found his backpack, along with three mobile phones, which appeared to be stolen.

Schipkie told police he’d found two of the phones on the Geelong waterfront, and the third he bought on Facebook marketplace – but he could not produce any proof of the purchase.

He told officers it was “too far” to walk to a police station to hand the phones in after finding them, and admitted the cannabis was his, stating: “yeah it’s mine, I smoke weed”.

He was bailed to appear in court on September 28, but failed to appear.

Schipkie has an “extensive” criminal history, dating back to 2008, court documents stated, including eight counts of failing to answer bail.

He has been the subject of 66 arrest warrants and 17 police whereabouts alerts, due to “his propensity to avoid police when he is aware he is wanted”.

Police stated drug use was a contributing factor to his offending.

“The accused’s substance abuse is likely to make his behaviour unpredictable and erratic,” court documents state.

Schipkie, who is of no fixed address, will be sentenced on July 31.

Originally published as Adam Schipkie pleads guilty to reckless conduct endangering life