Ezekiel Albertus Thomas Courbois to be sentenced for drug and gun offences

A Mount Gambier thug who left his former partner bloodied is now back before the court on drugs and guns charges, including weapons he bought off Wish.

A Mount Gambier thug who left his former partner bloodied and fearing for her life is now back before the court on drugs and guns charges.

Ezekiel Albertus Thomas Courbois, 34, awaits his fate after he also bought a multitude of weapons off Wish.

During sentencing submissions this week, Casey Isaacs, for Courbois, pushed for no jail, saying his client was a young man and engaging in rehabilitation programs.

The court heard Courbois was employed at a dairy farm and shared custody of his young daughter was a motivating factor for him.

“The drugs – he has been charged with supply and no commercial involvement and the firearm was not held for a nefarious purpose,” Mr Isaacs said.

Ezekiel Albertus Thomas Courbois pleaded guilty to drugs and gun charges. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Courbois was also found in possession of knuckledusters, laser pointers, a flick knife and a pistol crossbow which he purchased off Wish.

A prosecutor pushed for immediate jail, saying it was of significant concern the drugs and firearm were together.

Courbois pleaded guilty to multiple offences, including possessing a firearm and prohibited weapons, relating to offending from July 2022.

The court heard Courbois was serving a home detention at the time of the offending for serious domestic violence offences, including unlawfully choking, suffocating or strangling another.

During sentencing for the offending, the court heard the couple had been drinking all day following the Mount Gambier Christmas Parade.
An argument ensued and they went their separate ways before the November 16, 2019 attack at the victim’s home.

Judge Geraldine Davison said the altercation occurred after the victim left Courbois’ things outside the house and told him he needed to collect them.

He arrived at around 8.30pm, punched a “large hole” in the wall and followed her into the bedroom.

Courbois headbutted his victim in the face leaving her with a bleeding lip before dragging her by the legs off the bed and onto the floor.

“You then crouched over her and placed your forearm against her throat, pushing it into the ground,” Judge Davison said.

“She could not breathe.

“She said she felt like her head was going to explode. Her eyes and face felt like they were bulging.”

The victim’s next memory is being outside, lying on her back in the rocks near the garage, again with Courbois’ forearm against her throat before escaping to a neighbour’s house and grabbing knives to protect herself.

“She was so terrified that you were going to come after her and kill her at that stage,” Judge Davison said.

The neighbour described the victim as “absolutely hysterical” with a bloodied lip, blood all over her lower face and her hands, a grazed knee and looked like she had been hit to the eye.

Another neighbour heard Courbois yelling he would kill her.

Judge Davison sentenced Courbois to one year, seven months and seven days with a non-parole of eight months.

She ordered him to serve the non-parole period on home detention.

Courbois will be sentenced in December for the new offending.