Gympie coward jailed after strangling his partner with a dog lead

The victim fell to the ground, couldn’t breathe and gasped for air while Janke stood over her and continued to verbally abuse her as part of a sickening domestic violence attack.

Dylan Neil Janke, 28, leaves the Gympie District Court after pleading guilty to strangling his then-partner among other offences.

A Gympie region man strangled his then-partner with a dog lead until she fell to the ground and gasped for air as part of a vile streak of domestic violence offences against her last year.

Dylan Neil Janke, 28, faced the Gympie District Court late last week on a charge of strangulation in a domestic setting, two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, three counts of breaching a domestic violence order and one of attempting to pervert the course of justice, among other offences.

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The court heard Janke’s then-partner took out a DVO against him in the Gympie Magistrates Court last February, barring Janke from coming within 100m of her home without her express consent.

Dylan Neil Janke, 28, leaves the Gympie District Court after pleading guilty to strangling his then-partner, among other offences.

Janke had previously been convicted of domestic violence against the same woman in 2019 and 2020.

One June 8, last year the woman consented to Janke being in the house with her, but he threw a candle holder at her as she got out of bed to get away from him following an argument between the pair.

Later that day Janke’s outburst continued, this time when he threw a bowl at the victim’s head.

The next day the pair got into another argument before Janke approached the victim and strangled her with a dog lead “for about five seconds”, according to Judge Bernard Porter’s summary of the offending.

The victim fell to the ground, couldn’t breathe and gasped for air while Janke stood over her and continued to verbally abuse her, the court heard.

After Janke abused her yet again on that date the victim ran into her laundry to escape him, but he pushed her backwards into the laundry cupboard and punched her in the face.

The victim called police and told them about Janke’s attack, and they later arrived and observed marks on her.

Janke claimed the victim threw herself against the door, but was banished from the home by police and told not to return.

Instead he came back an hour later, walked into the victim’s bedroom, turned the light on and told her she wouldn’t be getting to sleep, before throwing a cigarette lighter at her and having a shower.

Police were called once again and Janke was arrested.

The court heard in late June the victim gave Janke permission to reside with her for a week, but he refused to leave and abused her when she rescinded that permission on July 5.

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Police were called the next day and took Janke into custody, but even that would not be the end of his offending.

The court heard further that between July 27 and October 16, while on remand, Janke “embarked on a campaign of telephone calls and letters” asking the victim to lie to police, asking his mother to ask the victim to do the same, and telling his own parents that everything was going to be OK.

The victim later signed a statutory declaration asking to withdraw the charges.

Janke’s lawyer Chris Anderson told the court his client had previously worked as a pastry chef, and had taken a job in the prison laundry while serving 311 days in pre-sentence custody for his offending.

Mr Anderson said Janke intended to move to Victoria upon his release and the relationship with the victim had come to an end.

Janke also pleaded guilty to two charges each of supplying a dangerous drug and fraud, along with an additional assault occasioning bodily harm charge.

Judge Porter remarked that Janke had a “sad” criminal history with numerous entries for drugs and violence, particularly against the victim of his latest offending.

“(You have) built up an unenviable record demonstrating continual disregard for orders made to protect this woman,” Judge Porter said.

Janke was given a head sentence of four years’ jail, with his existing time in custody taken into account.

Janke’s parole eligibility date was set for September 9, this year.