Bradley Thomas Hilton sentenced in Hervey Bay District Court for strangulation

A promising league player, sentenced for a violent attack on his ex-partner on the Fraser Coast, has made an equally confronting claim about what led to the fight.

Bradley Thomas Hilton leaves Hervey Bay District Court on August 31, 2023

A Fraser Coast footy player, sentenced for the violent attack of his former partner, claims a comment about his stillborn child’s ashes was partly to blame for the fight.

Supported by his family in Hervey Bay District Court on Thursday, Maryborough Wallaroos player Bradley Thomas Hilton, 24, pleaded guilty to five charges including strangulation and wilful damage.

The court heard on September 15, 2022, Hilton had told the woman, with whom he shares a child, that he wanted to end their relationship.

This escalated into him calling her a “maggot” and spraying a can of deodorant at her face.

Hilton then pushed the victim, causing her to fall over and hit her elbow on a table, the court heard.

The victim then threw a remote at Hilton who reacted by wrapping his hand around her throat.

He then left the property but not before damaging a fence on his way out.

The victim then locked herself in a bedroom and called 000.

Hilton’s barrister told the court some of his client’s anger had been caused by the victim allegedly telling him to “pick up his stillborn daughter’s ashes (from a previous relationship) and leave”.

He said Hilton was “a young man” who grew up in “instability” but despite this has a “good work history” and “no history of violent behaviour”.

The victim, through a written statement, said she felt “immediate pain” during the strangulation and “does not know how long it lasted”.

The court heard despite the incident she believed “Hilton has (their) child’s best interest at heart”.

In his closing statements Judge Glen Cash said while he accepted Hilton’s “preparedness to accept responsibility” for the incident, “the court needed to denounce” his actions.

Describing Hilton’s behaviour as “reactional”, Judge Cash said the “community needs to be sent a message” behaviour such as his was “to be deterred and condemned”.

He sentenced Cash to a total of two years jail but this was wholly suspended.

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