D’Khoada Walton, 29, jailed for robbery, assault, perversion of justice

A woman has been left homeless after a man stole $14k from her and violently assaulted her when she confronted him about the missing money. Read her heartbreaking victim impact statement:

D'Khoada Walton pleaded guilty to robbery and assault after a woman he was dating confronted him about $14,000 missing from her purse. The money was a gift from her grandmother to buy a caravan for her and her two children.

A heartbroken young mum has told a court she “will never be the same” after the man she was dating assaulted her and robbed her of thousands of dollars.

D’Khoada Walton, 29, appeared in the dock at the Bundaberg District Court on Friday morning and pleaded guilty to one count of robbery accompanied with personal violence; and one count of attempting to pervert justice (domestic violence offence).

The victim began dating Walton, a serial offender, last year.

It was around this time she received $14,000 from her grandmother to buy a caravan for her and her family to live in.

She told Walton about her plans, and the money given to her.

On June 17, 2021 Walton was at the victim’s home and when he left, she realised the $14,000, which she kept in her handbag, was missing.

The same day, the victim went looking for Walton and demanded he return her money.

Walton, who was with two female co-offenders, took visible offence to the accusation, telling the victim, “don’t f---ing accuse me of that”.

D'Khoada Walton pleaded guilty to robbery and assault after a woman he was dating confronted him about $14,000 missing from her purse. The money was a gift from her grandmother to buy a caravan for her and her two children.

The two co-offenders started to punch and kick the victim and she fell to the ground.

Walton then joined in, kicking her in the head, the court heard.

When she managed to get to to her feet, she was kicked again by one of the co-offenders and her handbag was taken from her.

It was then that the three offenders left the scene.

Police tracked Walton down three days later on June 20, the court was told.

He told officers he took $100 from her handbag but his friend had taken most of the money and blamed the assault on hs co-offenders.

Police found him in possession of $550 cash and admitted he received $200 from a friend.

While in custody Walton called a friend and told them “go tell your mate [the victim] to drop all the charges on me or she’ll be going to the boneyard next time she comes in.”

The prosecutor told the court Walton had a “serious” criminal history, and frequently disengaged from previous community based orders.

Walton’s defence barrister told the court Walton was born into a family of two drug-addicted parents, who separated when he was five years old.

The court heard when Walton reached year ten, he was diagnosed with foetal alcohol syndrome due to his mother’s alcohol use throughout pregnancy.

The court heard Walton has no qualifications and is a father of four children from previous relationships.

He has a history of drug abuse with heroin, cannabis, ice and prescription tablets.

According to his lawyer, Walton’s father died of a drug overdose in 2014 at the age of 46, found in a toilet cubicle in Tamworth, NSW.

Walton’s lawyer told the court his mother passed away from lung cancer two to three weeks ago.

Judge Allen condemned Walton’s “vicious’”actions towards the victim.

“You should be ashamed of your cowardly, vicious and dishonest behaviour towards her.”

Judge Walton was sentenced to four years jail.

He took into consideration 15 months Walton had already served, and ordered he be eligible for parole on October 17.

The co-offenders matters have not yet been finalised.

Victim impact statement

The victim took the witness box and read out an emotional victim impact statement during the sentencing, telling the court the crimes committed against her have been “life changing, devastating and profound.”

“I continue to be held back, limited in my life because of the impacts from that day,” she said.

“My safe place, and that area of torn itself remains a place of distress and terror to me.”

The victim described the rental home she lived in went from having “five years of memories” to “a place so negative and fearsome.”

“I was out on the street with nothing but a bag and my girls and still to this day i’m suffering on the street, sleeping in a park just down the road from here,” the victim said.

D'Khoada Walton pleaded guilty to robbery and assault and has spent the last 15 months behind bars.

“The impacts of trauma were so invasive and raw that I could not, and still cannot, keep a job.”

The victim shed tears as she told the court how trauma had also prevented her from doing basic tasks, and that she suffered health problems and “intrusive” thoughts due to the assault and robbery.

“Not being able to work has had a significant impact and being without any support or home has had a huge financial impact to me and my children,” she said.

“It has meant I’ve had to go without food, shelter and essentials with next to no support to get by.”

She told the court she has turned to drug use because she can’t afford to see psychiatrist treatment for “ptsd, hypervigilance, repetitive and intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, sleeplessness, insomnia, nightmares, difficulty in concentration and memory problems.”

“I struggle to believe I have anything to offer in life anymore. I am not the person I was before and I will be the same as a result of what has been done to me,” she said.

“I've lost so much, and many of these things cut right to the core of who I am and can never be undone or forgotten.”