Caleb James Cameron Gray pleaded guilty to strangulation

A court has heard how a young father started crying after he strangled the 18-year-old mother of his child almost to the point of unconsciousness, an action the judge described as a known “predictor of homicide in a relationship”.

The court heard the incident involved Gray’s 18-year-old partner and the mother of his son.He was 24 at the time of the offence.

A young father started crying after he grabbed his partner’s neck and “applied pressure”, a court has heard, strangling her almost to the point of unconsciousness.

Caleb James Cameron Gray, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of strangulation when he faced Maryborough District Court on Friday.

The court heard the incident involved Gray’s 18-year-old partner and the mother of his young son.

He was 24 at the time of the offence.

On August 20, 2023, the two had an argument which started when Gray asked the woman what her family and friends thought of him, but she remained silent.

Gray grabbed her neck and “applied pressure”, the court was told.

She was unable to breathe, felt she was going to lose consciousness and her vision started to blur, at which point he released his grip on her.

The court heard Gray started crying and said he never wanted to strangle her again and said he wanted to kill himself.

The woman later reported the incident to police and Gray was charged and remanded in custody.

The court heard Gray had difficulties as a child after his parents split up.

His mother had abused alcohol and there had been a lack of supervision.

Gray started smoking cannabis at 13, but he was now using medicinal cannabis, the court was told.

Caleb James Cameron Gray, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of strangulation when he faced Maryborough District Court on Friday.

He had used meth for a time when he was 16, but had moved to Gayndah to be near his father and got a job working in the orchards before gaining qualifications as a nursing assistant and had since worked in aged care.

Gray had been well regarded by his supervisor at the aged care facility where he had worked, the court heard.

Judge Vicki Loury said it was unlikely Gray would be able to work in aged care after his conviction, at least for some time, but he had made arrangements to obtain work in the horticultural industry through his father.

She said the offence of strangulation was considered very serious because it was “inherently dangerous”.

“It can lead to death very quickly,” she said.

“It is a predictor of an increasing level of violence in a relationship, it is a predictor of homicide in a relationship.

“It is an act of domestic violence and … that is an aggravating feature.”

The relationship with the victim was now over, Judge Loury said, but there was still a child to consider and Gray had been a supportive father.

But she said he must realise he was endangering his safety if he exposed him to domestic violence.

“So whatever caused you to act this way, you need to deal with it in some way and get some help to change those sort of behaviours and learn alternative ways to deal with the stress that will be involved in every relationship you ever have.”

Gray was sentenced to two years in prison for the offence.

He had spent a period of 219 day in presentence custody, which was declared as time served, and he was released immediately on parole.

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