Douglas Charles Engledow in court for ‘terrifying’ assaults of partners

A South Burnett father unleashed a series of vicious assaults on two women, with one brutal attack leaving blood on the walls and floor of her home.

Douglas Charles Engledow was convicted for a series of vicious assaults on two women, one in front of the victim's eight-year-old daughter.

A Nanango panel beater and serial abuser choked and punched a woman repeatedly in a brutal assault that left blood on the walls and floor of her home.

Douglas Charles Engledow pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, choking, wilful damage and possession of a dangerous drug in Bundaberg District Court on Thursday.

The court heard Engledow, 50, had a lengthy criminal history having appeared before Queensland courts on 31 occasions and sentenced to 52 offences since 1991.

When asked by Judge Leanne Clare SC if he had anything to say before she sentenced him, Engledow said “I’m sorry for the people I’ve hurt”.

“I wish I never did any drugs in my past life, it has ruined my life,” he said.

“It’s destroyed a lot of relationships ... We all get high and then it all goes bad.”

Douglas Charles Engledow was convicted for a series of vicious assaults on two women, one in front of the victim's eight-year-old daughter which left blood on the walls.

Crown prosecutor Annika Fritz told the court that in October 2019 Engledow went uninvited to the Baffle Creek home of the victim, a former partner with whom he had broken up with about seven months previously.

When the victim drove up to her front gate and asked him why he was there, Engledow said words to the effect of he “wanted to surprise her and catch her out”.

An argument then ensued which culminated in the victim telling Engledow he wasn’t welcome at her home, the court heard.

As he was leaving, Engledow asked the victim for a kiss, and when she declined he grabbed her around the neck, pushed her backwards onto the ground and squeezed her throat, with the victim freeing herself by punching Engledow.

A short while later the pair began arguing again, in the course of which Engledow again grabbed her by the neck and squeezed, with the victim again freeing herself by punching him in the face and chest.

The second series of offences occurred in Kingaroy in November 2022, with the victim a different woman with whom Engledow had begun a relationship.

Engledow and the victim had an argument at around 4.30pm related to picking up the victim’s eight-year-old daughter from school.

Later that night, the victim went to her neighbour’s unit to drink and socialise and returned home about 10pm, with Engledow arriving soon afterwards.

Ms Fritz told the court that the victim let Engledow into her home “because she was in a good mood”, but once inside they began a discussion about their relationship which the victim said she did not want to talk about.

The woman struggled to breathe while Engledow was choking her, with the assault leaving her with a bleeding mouth and nose and blood on the walls and floor of her home.

Without warning Engledow punched the victim in the face, pinned her down on a mattress that was on the floor and began choking her with one hand while restraining her arms with the other, the court heard.

While the victim was struggling to breathe Engledow punched her a number of times, and ripped the door off the refrigerator in the course of their struggle.

The victim was bleeding from her nose and mouth and there was blood on the floor and wall as a result of the assault, the court heard.

Wanting to retrieve her tobacco, the woman returned to her neighbour’s unit where she was assaulted again by Engledow when he “rushed out” from the back of the house.

The court heard Engledow again pinned her to the ground and hit her with an open hand, kicked her and punched her in the nose.

Later that day the woman’s mother called police, who took her to hospital where they noted a long list of injuries including black eyes, a cut lip, bruised neck and abrasions and bruises on her arms and legs.

Engledow ‘s defence barrister, Phillip Hardcastle, told the court his client had worked in the construction industry and a smash repairs shop as a spray painter and panel beater, and had three daughters in their 20s.

Judge Leanne Clare told Engledow his assaults “traumatised” the victims and “must have been terrifying”, and taken into account with his criminal history presented an “irresistible conclusion is that you present a danger to women”.

Judge Clare ordered Engledow serve a head sentence of 5.5 years in prison, with a parole eligibility date of July 13, 2025.

Engledow was convicted of one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm, strangulation or choking in a domestic setting, wilful damage and possessing dangerous drugs.

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