Choking offenders who faced court in the Wide Bay Burnett
Since 2016, it’s been a stand-alone offence to choke someone in Queensland. These are the thugs brought to justice across the Wide Bay and Burnett. WARNING: GRAPHIC
Police & Courts
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In some cases, paired with a fury of punching, kicking or even bashing with a trash bag of cans, these violent attacks have ended with a pair of hands squeezing the victim’s throat.
In 2016, choking, suffocation or strangulation in a domestic setting was made a stand-alone offence in Queensland under the recommendation of the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence.
Australia lost 67 women to alleged unlawful acts in 2022, Australian Femicide Watch researcher and The Red Heart Campaign founder Sherele Moody found.
More than 53 per cent of the deaths were alleged acts of domestic violence, the research shows.
Ms Moody said more women and children were allegedly killed in Queensland than any other state or territory in Australia and domestic and family violence was particularly strong in regional areas.
While nobody was killed in these cases, here are some of the most recent choking offences which have gone through the courts in the Wide Bay Burnett:
Jennsen Maxwell McEwen
A woman could not swallow food properly for a month after a man violently choked her during a stay at the Ronald McDonald House in South Brisbane while her child was in hospital.
Jennsen Maxwell McEwen, 24, pleaded guilty on February 9 in the Gympie District Court to two counts of choking.
The court heard McEwen was under the influence of alcohol and meth at the time of the offence in September, 2021.
Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told the court McEwen snuck up behind the woman and put his forearm around her throat six times and the woman fought back until he was briefly knocked out.
The woman fought back, elbowing McEwen in the ribs until he was briefly knocked out.
When he woke up, McEwen put her in a chokehold and squeezed, the court heard.
He was sentenced to two and a half years jail to be released on parole on May 28, 2023. His 196 days held in pre-sentence custody were declared as time served.
Boaz Herbert John Weis
A Goomeri painter sent more than 100 text messages in five days to a woman he had violently choked months prior.
Boaz Herbert John Weis, 36, pleaded guilty on February 8 in Gympie District Court to one count of choking, two counts of breaching bail and three counts of contravention of domestic violence (aggravated offence).
Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told the court Weis and his now ex-partner were having an argument but the woman left their house to go to the pub and returned later that night to find Weis drunk.
Weis tried to pour drinks over the woman’s head and smashed the bottles lying on the floor beside them, the court heard.
He threw her on the floor, climbed on top of her and squeezed her neck with both hands for 30 seconds, the court heard.
When he let go, the woman ran to call police and waited at a nearby school for the cops to arrive. She was found with red marks on her neck.
He was given two and a half years imprisonment to be released on parole on May 8, 2023 with 200 days spent in pre-sentence custody declared as time served.
Damien Wallis
A former masonry worker choked a woman multiple times in one night while he was smoking cannabis in what has been described as a “cowardly” assault.
Damien Wallis pleaded guilty on Friday, February 3 in Gympie Magistrates Court to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and two counts of choking.
During an argument, the woman tried to push Wallis when he blocked her path and he then told the woman, “don’t f---ing touch me” and shoved her backwards.
Wallis climbed on top of the woman and began squeezing her neck for several seconds and the woman couldn’t breathe.
Later that night, he threatened to “end her” and climbed onto her again to choke her with both hands.
“While still holding her neck with one hand, he punched her in the stomach; he winded her and caused her immediate pain,” Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told the court.
“She curled into a ball trying to breathe and cough at the same time.”
He was sentenced to three years’ prison with a parole release date of March 15. His 325 days in pre-sentence custody was declared as time served.
Liam Jye Kirstenfeldt
Details of a drug dealing tradie’s gruesome attack on a woman have been uncovered in court including that he said “you’re going to sleep now” while choking her.
Liam Jye Kirstenfeldt, 25, pleaded guilty in the Gympie District Court on January 30, to 42 charges, including choking, trafficking a drug, six counts of assault and 29 counts of supplying a dangerous drug as well
The court was told that Kirstenfeldt was in a heated argument with a woman on June 16, 2021 when he forced her into a chokehold.
Kirstenfeldt lifted her as the woman was smoking a cigarette, causing her to bite him in an attempt to free herself.
He choked her again and then ripped her shirt when she tried to call police, the court was told.
Kirstenfeldt later pushed her down a few steps of stairs; at the bottom of the stairs, he aligned himself to wrap his thighs around her neck.
“You’re going to f---ing sleep now, bitch,” Kirstenfeldt had told the woman while she was blacking out and then bashed her with a garbage bag filled with empty cans.
Judge Glenn Cash sentenced Kirstenfeldt to three years’ prison and was released on parole on February 16, 2023.
Lars Jonas Brodin
A middle-aged former baker locked his elderly mother out of their house and attacked her after he spent four days prior drinking alcohol.
Lars Jonas Brodin pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court on January 30 to common assault, choking and aggravated contravention of a domestic violence order.
Brodin became irritated when his 74-year-old mother walked out of their Rainbow Beach home, crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus said.
He locked the house and set the alarm system following her departure but she entered the house using a spare key.
Brodin punched the woman between her eye and ear, then wrapped his arm around her neck from behind and choked her for about 10-15 seconds, Mr Andronicus told the court.
The woman scratched his arm so he would let her go and she ran to her bedroom to call police.
Brodin was sentenced to two years’ prison to be released on January 30, 2023 with 259 days in pre-sentence custody declared as time served.
Harley Keith George Groves
A former chef convicted of a spate of violent offences including deprivation of liberty and choking was jailed by a Gympie court.
Harley Keith George Groves appeared in Gympie District Court via video link and pleaded guilty on December 3, 2021, to 13 charges, including deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault.
The court heard he drove her to Toolara State Forest, north east of Gympie, and told her to lay on her stomach while he tied her arms and legs.
Crown prosecutor Zachary Kaplan said when the woman tried to break free, Groves became enraged and insinuated to her that she was going to die.
He then left her tied up in the forestry, returning some time later to untie her and force her to walk beside the car he was driving while he screamed at her to walk faster.
On a separate date, Groves drove her back out to the Toolara Forest and when she tried to escape his car, he put her into a headlock and strangled her.
He was sentenced to 18 months jail, and ordered to serve a third of that time, with the remainder of his sentence to be suspended for three years; his time in pre-sentence custody was declared time served and Groves will only spend a further three months behind bars.
Raymond Barry Griffiths
A father wiped away tears in Gympie District Court as horrific details about his violent attack on a woman, witnessed by her 10-year-old child, were shared.
Raymond Barry Griffiths appeared in the court via video link on June 22, 2022 and pleaded guilty to one charge of strangulation in a domestic setting from October 2021, and one summary charge.
The court heard the victim kicked Griffiths out of her home on October 4, 2021 and later that afternoon, she told Griffiths she had smashed his belongings and for him to collect them.
An argument ensued and Griffiths punched the woman five times to the chest, then grabbed her by the throat and dropped her to the floor.
Crown Prosecutor Darcy Evans said he then put both hands around her throat and squeezed, almost causing her to black out.
“He told the complainant ‘I’m gonna f***ing kill you’,” Mr Evans said.
Griffiths was sentenced to two years and three months behind bars with an immediate parole release and the 261 days he spent behind bars were declared as time served.
Allan Rae
A Hervey Bay grandfather, who launched a savage attack on his wife of 41 years, was put behind bars after he admitted to choking and punching her after drinking on and off for three days.
Allan Rae, who was 64 at the time, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay District Court April 22, 2022 to choking, threatening violence, wilful damage, assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault.
As a result of Rae’s intoxicated state, his wife had called their son to cancel their dinner plans and Rae became angry, the court was told.
He became verbally aggressive and Rae took the car keys and stomped on her phone before punching his wife in the eye, causing her to yell and cry.
He grabbed her by the hair and threw her on the floor, then knelt on her, placing his knee on her chest, and putting his hand around her throat.
The woman became breathless and was afraid she would die, the court heard, and clumps of her hair were also ripped out.
Rae then went to the kitchen to get a knife and made a series of threats while standing over his wife until she managed to calm him down.
Rae was given a head sentence of two and a half years in prison, to be released on parole after four months and ordered to pay $2500 in compensation to his wife.
Neville John Page
A Hervey Bay man was 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 pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay District Court on July 25, 2022 to choking suffocation strangulation (domestic relationship), wilful damage (domestic violence offence) and common assault (domestic violence offence).
Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke said on August 31, 2021, 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.
Page was sentenced to three years jail for choking, 12 months jail for common assault and was immediately released on parole.
For the other charges he was sentenced to six months jail for each, wholly suspended for a year.
Judge Loury also declared the 315 days Page served in custody as time served.
Nathan Mckenzie Watson
When his girlfriend refused to lie to the police on his behalf, a man launched a violent attack on her, punching her in the face and grabbing her around the throat.
Nathan Mckenzie Watson pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, strangulation and wilful damage when he faced Maryborough District Court in February, 2022.
The court heard the woman’s refusal to lie in a police statement had led to an argument between the two.
This then led to a physical altercation in which the man punched his partner in the face, then kicked her in the back, legs and head while she was on the ground.
The attack continued when he grabbed her around the throat for 30 seconds, the court heard.
After the assault, the woman gathered her things and left the home, seeking help from the police and hospital.
Watson was sentenced to two and a half years in prison with immediate release on parole, with the 350 days he had already spent in custody declared as time served.
Justin Robert Cragg
A night out for a mother of three ended in a terrifying act of violence when her partner attacked her until she was “seeing stars”.
Truck driver Justin Robert Cragg appeared in Bundaberg District Court on March 21, 2022 charged with one count of common assault and one count of choking (aggravated offence).
The court heard on March 6, 2021, Cragg didn’t respond to a text from his partner of three asking him to pick her up after a night of drinking.
When she arrived home, she felt ill and vomited in the backyard and Cragg became agitated that she went out drinking, yelling that he “hated her”.
As she got up to walk away, he pushed her down on the floor twice, hurting her elbows and knees as she was called a “s***”.
She crawled away from Cragg who continued to yell at her before he grabbed her by the throat and pushed her up against a box in the hallway.
According to her statement, Cragg told her she was “going to drive him crazy” and choked her until she “couldn’t breathe”, “saw stars” and thought she was “going to die”.
Cragg was sentenced to two years jail for choking and nine months for common assault with immediate parole.
Daniel James Marriott
Daniel James Marriott was sentenced at Kingaroy District Court on February 10 after violently abusing and bashing a woman while threatening he would invite men to rape her for his own financial gain and “cut off her finger”.
The 31 year old pleaded guilty to seven domestic violence charges; four counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, choking suffocation strangulation, threatening violence while discharging firearms or other act at night and using a carriage service to menace harass or cause offence.
Prosecutor Alex Stark said Marriott punched and kicked a woman, whom he had a romantic relationship with, during an argument over methamphetamines at a Nanango hotel.
Marriott began choking her and “punched her in the mouth causing her immediate pain”.
Mr Stark said she thought her bottom teeth had been broken.
Marriott demanded her pinky finger as he went to get a butter knife, saying he wished he had a butcher’s knife, the court was told.
He then threatened the woman with inviting men to the room to use her body, he said “I’ll get some blokes round and I’ll make $5,000”.
Defence barrister Francis Martin said Marriott had served 421 days in pre-sentence custody. Marriott was released and sentenced to a two year $500 good behaviour bond.
Daniel Jeremiah Malone
A Nanango man wrapped a rope around his pregnant partner’s neck and punched her in the eye as her young son listened to the cruel attack.
The victim was talking to a friend on the phone on May 25, 2021 when Daniel Jeremiah Malone began yelling at her and demanding she not talk about him.
“(Malone) punched the complainant in the left eye. She cried and (he) ridiculed her, asking ‘what are you crying for?’,” Crown Prosecutor Alysha Ballantyne said.
The 34-year-old then wrapped a rope around the victim’s throat and pulled her toward him, also catching her wrists in the rope.
“(Malone) yelled at the (victim) during this assault, calling her a ‘pathetic b-tch’,” Ms Ballantyne said.
The victim, who was 13 weeks pregnant with his baby at the time, was left with blood on her hands and face, rope burn on her neck and wrists, and bruising and swelling to her eye.
Malone pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while armed with an offensive weapon.
Malone was at the time on parole for assaulting his uncle and disqualified driving, for which he’d been sentenced to one year and nine days in jail. His parole was cancelled and he was returned to jail on May 27, 2021 and was sentenced on November 8, 2021.
Tyreece Elijah Mervyn Simpson
A Cherbourg man was sentenced to two and a half years in jail after he grabbed the mother of his children by the neck and cut her arm with a machete.
Tyreece Elijah Mervyn Simpson went home after a party in September, 2021 when his girlfriend of eight years told him she wanted to return to the event, which infuriated him to the point of grabbing her by the throat.
The 21-year-old told the woman she “wasn’t f – king leaving” and forced her by the neck into the bedroom, Crown Prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke told the Kingaroy District Court.
With Simpson’s hand gripping her underneath the jaw and blocking her airway, the victim’s vision was starting to blur by the time he threw her on the bed and continued to choke her.
“When she called out he punched her in the face. He armed himself with a machete and threatened the (woman) to ‘hold her arm there or he was going to cut her throat’,” Ms O’Rourke said.
Simpson held the blade to the victim’s skin, which cut her forearm and hand as she instinctively moved her arm.
Simpson pleaded guilty on May 2, 2022 to choking, strangulation or suffocation, assault occasioning bodily harm, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, and two counts of contravening a domestic violence order, and was sentenced to two and a half years in jail
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