Gregory Wayne Marks pleads guilty to strangulation

A Fraser Coast man choked a woman so hard she ruptured blood vessels in her eye during a horrifying attack in her home.

Gregory Wayne Marks, 39, pleaded guilty to strangulation, common assault and six counts of wilful damage when he faced Hervey Bay District Court last week.

A Fraser Coast man launched a horrifying attack on a woman as she attempted to call triple-0, strangling her to the point he caused a blood vessel in her eye to rupture, a court has heard.

During a sentencing hearing in Hervey Bay District Court last week, the court heard Gregory Wayne Marks, 39, had been in a relationship with his victim, and the two were living together at the time of the offence.

The court heard there had been an argument after Marks drove the woman’s son to school, the court heard.

Marks picked up the woman’s sunglasses and broke them, at which point the woman put his sunglasses on the ground and stomped on them, the court was told.

The woman eventually felt frightened enough to call triple-0, but Marks grabbed her by the throat using both hands and forced her backwards against a wall.

He then applied pressure to her throat, impairing her breathing and making her struggle to swallow, the court heard.

He removed his hands from around her throat but then pressed his right forearm to her throat area and pinned her.

Marks then repeatedly punched the woman to both sides of her head, the court was told.

The woman bit his right forearm and scratched him in her efforts to defend herself.

Marks then told the woman: “If you don’t stop lying to me I’m going to kill you”.

The woman, aware that triple-0 had been called on her phone, was yelling out her address.

As his partner attempted to call triple-0, a man launched a horrifying attack on her, strangling her to the point where he caused a blood vessel in her eye to rupture, a court has heard.

She was then able to run from the bedroom and out through the front door, the court heard.

After 15 minutes, police and paramedics arrived and the woman was taken to Hervey Bay Hospital.

The victim suffered a ruptured blood vessel in her right eye and a bruised tongue.

The court heard Marks used a wooden bat to damage two televisions in the home, as well as a kettle and a toaster, in the aftermath of the attack.

The force caused blood vessels in her right eye to rupture; the victim also suffered a bruised tongue.

In court, Marks pleaded guilty to strangulation, common assault and six counts of wilful damage.

He wrote a letter to the court expressing remorse and shame for what he had done.

Defence barrister Phillip Hardcastle said Markshad gained a number of certificates while behind bars and had worked as a self-employed handyman, but had suffered back injuries during that employment.

He said Marks was intending to live with his brother upon his release.

The court heard Marks had a prior criminal history “of some substance”.

Judge Gary Long convicted Marks and sentenced him to two years and nine months in prison, with 325 days declared as time served.

Marks was immediately released on parole.

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