Neville John Page in court for choking and assault

A former cultural dancer choked a woman until it was ‘hard for her to breathe’, then hit her with a fishing rod. This is what was said in court:

A Hervey Bay man has been sentenced to jail after choking a woman he came across on a bikeway, punching her in the face, and hitting her with a fishing rod.

Neville John Page, 39, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay District Court on Monday to choking suffocation strangulation (domestic relationship), wilful damage (domestic violence offence) and common assault (domestic violence offence).

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke told the court Page damaged property when he tried to get into a woman’s house on April 19, 2021.

The court heard Page was on parole when committing the offences on April 19, 2021.

On a separate occasion on August 31, 2021, Ms O’Rourke said Page came across the woman on her way back from a grocery store and “grabbed her in a choke hold”.

He briefly squeezed her throat, making it hard for her to breathe, Ms O’Rourke said.

“She pushed herself away and he punched her twice with his fists, and then hit her twice with a fishing rod,” Ms O’Rourke said.

The court heard Page did not cause the woman any injuries.

Ms O’Rourke said Page was 38 years old at the time of the offending.

Neville John Page, 39, fronted Hervey Bay District Court on Monday, July 25. Photo: Facebook.

Defence barrister Sarah Farnden said her client “regrets what occurred on that day”, particularly the choking offence, as he did not intend to “inflict any violence”.

Ms Farnden said Page had worked as a cultural dancer for most of his life and had 13 children.

Page’s 75-year-old mother supported him in court.

It also heard Page has been remanded in custody for just over 10 months since September 13, 2021.

During sentencing, Judge Vicki Loury QC told the court when Page went to the woman’s house on April 19, 2021, he shouted, smashed a window with a stone paver and also kicked the screen door which bent the frame.

Judge Loury said Page left the address before police arrived.

On August 31, 2021, Page came across the woman when she was walking along a bikeway, put her in a choke hold and squeezed such that she “found it hard to breathe” and saw “black in her right eye”.

Page was sentenced to three years jail for choking, and 12 months jail for common assault.

For the other charges he was sentenced to six months jail for each, wholly suspended for a year.

He was released on immediate parole.

Judge Loury also declared the 315 days Page served in custody as time served.