Christopher Lee Okell pleads guilty to assault causing bodily harm, enter premises

In one of the father of six’s long list of offences, he told a woman that he would get a van and some butane tanks and “make it look like an accident”.

Christopher Okell has been released on parole after pleading guilty to a series of offences, some involving domestic violence.

A MAN with an ugly history of cowardly assaults against the women in his life has faced sentence decades after his offences were committed, with an Ipswich court hearing he had been on the run from a gang at one stage.

A magistrate this week referred to him as a dangerous man and a thug.

Ipswich Magistrates Court heard Christopher Okell’s numerous convictions for violence against men and women in other states, with the crimes occurring after he first left Queensland in 2002.

Christopher Lee Okell, 46, who grew up in the Lowood and Rosewood areas, pleaded guilty to two charges of committing assaults causing bodily harm; entering premises by break and stealing; possession of dangerous drugs; possession of drug utensils; and three counts of failing to appear at court.

Ms Worthington, legal officer with the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Okell was aged 26 at the time of the 2002 offences where he repeatedly struck a woman more than 30 times.

She suffered a fractured nose and eye and was hospitalised. Okell absconded interstate.

Ms Worthington said the assaults in 2002 were cowardly and protracted violence and committed in front of children.

When back in Queensland in 2010 Okell was arrested and granted bail by a Beenleigh court, but again failed to appear.

With the two-decade old matters now being finalised, the Crown sought a jail order of two years with immediate parole as he had spent the past 10 months held in custody.

Ms Worthington said Okell was a recidivist offender with criminal history in Queensland, WA, NSW and Victoria that shows ongoing “serious violence” inflicted on women since he was first convicted of committing violence against a woman at Stanthorpe in 2001.

Ms Worthington said that offence involved him repeatedly striking the woman in the head.

Other incidents involved him spitting on the woman and verbally abusing her, calling her a whore.

The court heard he had also held scissors to a woman’s neck, threatening to kill her.

Ms Worthington said that in March 2002 Okell punched a woman in the face, and after breaching a probation order for that offence he was resentenced to a six-month jail term.

In one NSW conviction Okell picked up a screwdriver and held it to a woman’s throat while threatening to stab her.

In a 2006 violent assault Okell was jailed after repeatedly punching a male and breaking his jaw.

In 2010 there had been a violent episode where he sent a woman 70 threatening texts – saying he would get a van and butane tanks “and make it look like an accident”.

Okell went before Wyong and Gosford courts in 2017 for domestic violence, Ms Worthington saying he threatened to kill a woman and slit her throat.

In 2015 at Melbourne Okell received a 15-month jail order with parole at six months after he slapped a woman‘s face multiple times. She had been dragged and struck her head on tiles.

There was also an assault causing bodily harm conviction relating to an attack on a man at Beachmere in April 2020.

Defence lawyer David Rawnsley sought his immediate release to parole.

He said Okell was father to six adult children, and instructed that he had been working to become a better person while in jail.

He said Okell himself suffered violence from his father as a child, and had a history of illicit substance misuse including cannabis and amphetamine that was his way of self-medicating over mental health issues.

He said Okell instructed that the violent incident in 2002 occurred after the woman argued with his mother.

“His intent was to stand up for his mother. He should not have used such excessive violence,” Mr Rawnsley said.

“He was (later) threatened by gang members who came to the family home so he decided to abscond.”

Magistrate Gary Finger said he would have viewed Okell as being nothing more than a thug had he not read a positive letter written by his now partner.

“You are a dangerous, dangerous man but it seems you have seen the error of your ways. And since 2019 have acted like you have turned your life around which is to your credit,” Mr Finger said.

“Before that you were a dangerous, dangerous man. Your thuggish behaviour led you to prison a number of times.

“You had no regard for male or female.

“Whether it was alcohol or drug driven, or mental health, who knows. There is no medical report.”

Okell was sentenced to various jail terms totalling 26 months, with immediate parole due to time already served.