Domestic violence on the rise in Bundaberg, Fraser Coast and Gympie
They are more than just ‘numbers on page’. Domestic violence figures are on the rise across the Wide Bay, more than doubling in less than a decade. See the data and some of the most horrific recent court cases. *Distressing content
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Domestic violence is on the rise across the Wide Bay, new data has revealed.
According to statistics from Queensland Police Service, more than 1500 domestic violence incidents were recorded across Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and Gympie in 2021.
Hervey Bay recorded the highest increase, with a 161 per cent rise since 2015; and 511 incidents, up from 196 that same year.
Bundaberg recorded the second highest increase, with a 114 per cent rise and 774 recorded incidents from 362 in 2015.
Gympie recorded the lowest increase with a 99 per cent rise and 306 incidents from 154 in 2015.
Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Shadow Minister Amanda Camm said in a statement the statistics were “Queensland’s dark truth”.
“These aren’t just numbers on a page. Every single figure is a victim who is now fearing for their safety at the hands of a predator,” Ms Camm said.
“It’s a victim struggling to sleep at night, scared to leave their home, scared to walk down the main street.”
Here are some of the worst examples of domestic violence across the Wide Bay:
Gympie
Neighbour reports man who threatened to ‘bury’ partner
A Southside father, who used another person’s phone to contact a woman with a domestic violence order against him and threatened to “bury her”, hung his head low as a court heard details of what happened.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a lone charge of breaching a domestic violence order from January, 2022.
Gympie Magistrates Court heard the man had made several attempts to contact the woman, but ultimately reached her by calling a different phone early on January 23, 2022.
The conversation between the two became heated, where the man called the woman a “r****d c***” and threatened to “headbutt and bury her”.
This was all captured on video from the woman’s phone, but it was a neighbour who called police out of concern for the woman’s safety after she was told of the threats.
However, they were never acted upon.
The man was fined $900.
Threats to burn baby alive
A 27-year-old Glenwood man threatened to douse his newborn baby in petrol and set her alight, a court has heard.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to breaching a domestic violence order three times.
The court heard the victim, the man’s partner, was subject to horrific violence and abuse on September 27, including blows to the head and face while being asked if she “wanted to be a smart C***”.
During the same attack, the man, who was drunk, threatened to kill her while holding two knives.
“Get the f*** in the shower and get the blood off of your face,” he then told her, demanding she repeat the words: “I’m a narcissistic slut who needs to keep her mouth shut”.
Later, on October 7, he accused the woman of provoking him and spat in her face three times.
“You must like walking around with a busted face,” he said.
He then took her phone from her as she was leaving for work, telling her she wouldn’t need it; only to call her at work and tell her he had two jerry cans and a lighter ready to go.
“Did you ever think when you kissed your daughter goodbye it would be the last time you ever saw her?” he said.
Two days later, on October 9, he was arrested.
He was sentenced to 21 months behind bars, with a parole release date of August 27, 2022.
Fraser Coast
Woman who was choked feared for her life
A woman was subject to a violent attack by a Fraser Coast man after she refused to lie on his behalf, a court has heard.
Nathan McKenzie Watson, 26, pleaded guilty in Maryborough District Court to assault occasioning bodily harm, strangulation and wilful damage.
The court heard the event began after the woman refused to lie in a police statement for Watson’s benefit, when he punched her in the face then kicked her in the back, legs and head while she was on the ground.
Then, he put his hands around her throat for 30 seconds.
Once the assault was over, the woman packed her things and left, the court heard.
Police later found a smashed window at the property, which was subject to Watson’s outburst.
In a statement to police, the woman said the attack had traumatised her and left her fearful for her life.
Watson was sentenced to two and a half years behind bars with an immediate parole release, with 350 days in pre-sentence custody declared as time served.
‘Should have just burnt her’
A Hervey Bay man was heard saying “I should have just f***ing burnt her” as he walked away from the scene of a car doused in petrol with a lighter in hand – all while a terrified woman was inside.
But a neighbour successfully intervened before the car went up in flames.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to a series of domestic violence breaches in Maryborough Magistrates Court.
The court heard the man had attacked the woman several times in the lead up to the near-deadly offence, including threatening to scald her with hot coffee and punching her in the face.
But it all lead up to the final act, where the man poured petrol on a car while the woman was inside, lighter in hand.
Before he could set the vehicle alight, however, a neighbour intervened and the man left the scene.
“I should have just f***ing burnt her,” he was heard saying as he left.
He was sentenced to six months behind bars, wholly suspended for two years, and placed on probation for 12 months.
Bundaberg
Truckie’s victim strangled until she was “seeing stars”
A night out drinking almost ended in disaster when a Bundaberg truck driver choked a woman until she was “seeing stars”, a court has heard.
Justin Robert Cragg, 31, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to common assault and choking (aggravated offence).
The court heard the night of violence began when the woman returned home from a night of drinking.
Earlier that night, she had asked Cragg to pick her up, though he didn’t answer the phone and later called her back to abuse her.
When she returned home, she vomited in the front yard, and sat on a lounge chair while feeling ill, though she was interrupted by an angry Cragg yelling he “hated her”.
As she tried to walk away, he pushed her to the floor twice while calling her a “sl**”.
She tried to call triple-0, but Cragg took her phone off her.
Then, as she tried to crawl away, Cragg, who continued to yell at her, grabbed her by the throat and held her against a box.
In a statement to police, the woman said Cragg told her she was “going to drive him crazy” and choked her until she “couldn’t breathe”.
In the same statement, she said she “saw stars” and thought she was “going to die”.
Cragg was sentenced to two years behind bars with immediate parole.
Woman, child dragged towards fire
A 38-year-old Bundaberg man dragged a tent with a woman inside towards a campfire during a violent outburst, and threatened to kill her during a horrific attack.
Damien Lachlan Forrester pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court to assault occasioning bodily harm while armed (domestic violence offence) and wilful damage (domestic violence offence).
The court heard Forrester and a woman were camping at Bottle Creek, north of Bundaberg, in September 2018 when the violence began.
The woman asked Forrester to help her with the tent, but after he refused she sat on a nearby Esky and began drinking.
Forrester then shouted at her and punched her in the face, causing her to fall backwards.
He then threw food at her while she was on the ground, the court heard.
The woman then went and hid in the tent, though this did not stop Forrester.
He threw the Esky at the tent, causing it to collapse, while threatening to kill the woman and tried to drag the tent into a nearby fire while she was still inside.
She managed to escape and hide behind a tree while Forrester threw clothes and a number of other items into the fire.
He then destroyed the woman’s car, smashing the headlights and tail-lights, damaging the interior and throwing the keys into a river.
Meanwhile, the woman called for help.
Forrester was given a head sentence of 18 months behind bars, and was released on parole on July 10, 2021.
NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CRISIS SERVICES
1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Australian Childhood Foundation: 1800 176 453
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Relationships Australia: 1300 364 277
Police appeal for information after body found at beach
A report is being prepared for the coroner and police are appealing for information after a man’s body was found in the water at a Hervey Bay beach.
High-profile legal battles set to spill into 2025
As 2024 comes to a close, several high-profile legal battles in the Wide Bay region remain unresolved, with many set to continue into 2025.