Daniel Galli: Ipswich man walks free after invading home, strangling woman

The family of a man who broke into a woman’s house through the floor and strangled her until she “couldn’t see or breathe” rejoiced in a courtroom as a judge announced he would be released on parole immediately.

The family of a man convicted of breaking into a woman’s house through the floor and strangling her to a point where she “couldn’t see or breathe” rejoiced in a courtroom as a judge announced he would be released on parole immediately.

Daniel Galli, 34, appeared in Ipswich District Court on Wednesday April 4, where he pleaded guilty to a number of charges including three counts of burglary, one of unlawful stalking, and one of strangulation.

Crown prosecutor Hamish McIntyre said the most serious charge before the court – that of strangulation – related to a home invasion which occurred in May last year.

He told the court Galli choked a woman until she “couldn’t see or breathe”, leaving her gasping for air.

“The offending the following day is also concerning given that police located the defendant hiding beneath (the woman’s) bed, having broken into the house via the floor,” Mr McIntyre said.

He said that the level of violence Galli inflicted was “high” and the experience would have been “terrifying” for the victim.

Prior to this incident, the court heard Galli attended her address and “smashed” the back door to gain entry.

The Queensland Times understands he hid items around the house, including the woman’s iPads, clothing, and her mother’s cremated remains, before being spotted later that afternoon in her backyard.

Daniel Galli, 34.

Galli’s counsel Chris Minnery said his client was “very remorseful” and deterred from reoffending after his “awful” experience in presentence custody.

He told the court Galli had been in custody for about 11 months to Wednesday, during which time he contracted Covid-19 twice and lost about 30 kilograms.

According to Galli’s own calculations, he had endured 20 separate lockdowns throughout his time in prison and had not seen his family – who remained supportive of him – in 4.5 months.

The court heard he had been in regular employment as an adult, working mostly in fencing and steel fixing industries which he hoped to continue upon his release.

Mr Minnery said Galli had previously been diagnosed with anxiety and depression but was off his medication at the time of committing the offences.

Taking the agreed facts into consideration, as well as the man’s early pleas of guilty, the 317 days he spent in presentence custody, and the serious nature of his offending, Judge Dennis Lynch QC sentenced him to a total of three years’ imprisonment with immediate parole.

“The conduct that you engaged in, in choking and strangling her, was very dangerous,” Mr Lynch told Galli.

“Your conduct could easily have led to very serious injury or worse for her, regardless of your specific intention.”

Convictions were recorded and the 11 months Galli spent in presentence custody were declared time served.