Teen charged with assault, choking, deprivation of liberty
A teenage assistant mechanic accused of brutally bashing, choking and depriving his young girlfriend of her liberty has been remanded in custody after being ruled an unacceptable risk to her safety.
Police & Courts
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A teenager facing serious domestic violence charges was refused bail after he was deemed an “unacceptable risk” to the safety of his alleged victim.
The young man, 19, appeared via videolink in Maryborough Magistrates Court this week on multiple charges, including assault occasioning bodily harm, three counts of choking, suffocation or strangulation, four counts of common assault and one count of deprivation of liberty.
The young woman he is accused of brutalising was in the court, along with his family.
She was escorted out of the court by police and via a different exit to the man’s when the matter was finalised.
Defence lawyer Morgan Harris said the man had been working as a mechanical trades assistant since September 2024, and his employer was aware of the charges.
The man would be working on the Gold Coast during the week and living in Maryborough on weekends, Mr Harris said.
He said there were no shared children or property in the relationship.
The court heard the teen had spent 12 days in custody so far and had spent time among “more hardened” offenders.
He had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, anxiety and a heart condition and had been taken to Maryborough Hospital with an elevated heart rate while in the watch house, it heard.
Mr Harris said the man was a young offender with no criminal history and “quite low” risk of failing to appear.
A letter from a doctor was also submitted on the teen’s behalf.
The man’s time in custody had been a “jarring” experience for him and he had mostly attempted to keep to himself, Mr Harris said.
The teen had the support of his family, who were all in court.
He said he had been told the man would comply with an electronic monitoring device if released on bail.
An objection to bail was submitted to the court by the police prosecutor.
Magistrate John Milburn said he was not worried about the man failing to appear, but that releasing him on bail would be an unacceptable risk for the safety and welfare of the victim given the “severity and persistence” of the alleged offending.
Mr Milburn said he had considered the man’s age and the fact that he was working.
But he said he must consider the seriousness of the consequences if the teen was released on bail and further alleged offending occurred.
“It is never an easy decision to keep someone so young with no history in custody,” he said.
But Mr Milburn said he refused bail because the “unacceptable risk” remained and could not be cured by special conditions.
The matter was adjourned until May 6, 2025, and a full brief of evidence was ordered.
At the conclusion of the matter, the complainant was given a police escort and led out a different exit to the man’s family.
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