Gladstone father Scott Ryan Briercliffe charged with choking

A man is accused of strangling his partner - the mother of his six children - with his foot after she asked one question.

Scott Ryan Briercliffe made an application for bail in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on January 2 after being charged with choking and assault occasioning bodily harm.

A man accused of strangling his partner with his foot allegedly told her he “hated her guts” and “wanted her to die”, a court heard.

Scott Ryan Briercliffe, who had been in a relationship with the alleged victim for 28 years, made an application for bail in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on January 2 after being charged with choking and assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Merrilyn Hoskins said the alleged incident started with the victim saying to Mr Briercliffe: “Why did you leave me behind? I had to walk home.”

She said that allegedly ended with the defendant “standing with his foot on her throat and telling her: ‘I hate you and I want you to die’.

Sergeant Hoskins said the victim also suffered a cut to her head during the alleged altercation.

She said there were also concerns that despite conditions put in place in bail conditions, the victim, out of love for the defendant, may approach him and apologise, and he will ask to make everything go away “because she is just so used to this type of behaviour”.

“When he was arrested, he (to police) said she told you she fell over,” Sergeant Hoskins said.

Defence lawyer Ricky Lynch said his client was able to live at his workplace – the Young Australian Hotel in Gladstone – if granted bail.

He said the pair had six children and Mr Briercliffe was the primary income earner.

Sergeant Hoskins said only two of the children still lived at home and there was no clear evidence before the court on January 2 as to how much Mr Briercliffe contributed to the family income.

Mr Lynch said his client works full-time in the bottle shop at the hotel and was willing to have an alcohol ban as a bail condition.

Acting Magistrate Stephen Byrne said the information provided to the court showed the alleged victim could not recall how she acquired the laceration to the forehead, but she gave a detailed version of what happen regarding the choking allegation.

He said the defendant also allegedly threatened her, saying “I’ll put your head through the f--ing glass”.

“She says that the defendant had his foot on her throat for a length of time,” he said.

“She says one to two minutes, preventing her from breathing, and she recalls him saying words to the effect ‘I hate your guts. I want you to die’ and he kept his foot there until she was able to get out from underneath.

“I am concerned about you committing further offences towards this aggrieved, particularly if you’re intoxicated, because you seem to lose all control and have no memory.”

Mr Byrne said the single entry on Mr Briercliffe’s record was a public nuisance offence where he was fined.

He granted Mr Briercliffe bail with strict conditions, including not contacting the alleged victim and no alcohol or drugs.

Briefs of evidence were ordered for Mr Briercliffe’s matters and they were adjourned to February 24.