Ipswich dad knocks toddler off high chair in drug-addled domestic violence rampage

An Ipswich dad knocked his partner’s toddler from a high chair during a drug-addled rampage. A court heard he now had no memory of the incident.

Ipswich Court House. Picture: NCA NewsWire / John Gass

A father has faced a southeast Queensland court for a drug-addled domestic violence rampage in which he punched holes in his partner’s walls and pushed her against a high chair, knocking over her young child.

The Ipswich man, in his 30s, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on February 8 to domestic violence charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and wilful damage.

The court heard the man argued with his partner at an Ipswich region home on January 10, 2024.

Magistrate Robert Walker said the woman asked the man to leave after seeing something that concerned her on his phone.

But the man pushed her into a hallway and pinned her against a wall, Mr Walker said.

The court was told the woman fled to a bedroom and locked herself inside but the man forced his way in, breaking the latch on the door.

Mr Walker said the couple continued to argue, moving towards the front of the house.

Again, the man pushed the woman against a wall, this time holding her by the wrists.

But the woman broke free and walked over to her two-year-old child, who was sitting in a highchair.

The court was told the man then pushed her against the highchair, causing the child to be knocked over.

Mr Walker noted there were no charges relating to the child but said it was an aggravating feature.

He said the man was not the father of the toddler but had a child of his own.

The court heard that when the woman took the child to the bedroom the man followed and pinned her to a door.

He then pushed her on to a bed and squeezed her neck briefly before she kicked him away, Mr Walker said.

He said the man then punched multiple holes in a wall before leaving.

The court was told the woman suffered bruising to her arms, shoulder and thigh.

Police prosecutor Amanda Renton said the nature of the offending was very concerning.

“It appears to be a quick escalation that could have ended much worse,” Ms Renton said.

The court heard the man had been unsuccessful in his application for bail and was remanded in custody for 28 days while waiting to be sentenced.

Defence lawyer Kelsey Reed said her client had made admissions to police at the time even though he could not remember the incident.

Ms Reed said her client had a drug addiction and “things spiralled out of control”.

“He showed immediate remorse and disgust at the way in which his drug addiction has now led to this type of offending,’’ she said.

“He’s mostly embarrassed and ashamed.”

Mr Walker said the man had a limited criminal history with no similar previous offences.

He sentenced the man to six months’ jail, with immediate parole.

The man’s 28 days in presentence custody were declared as time served.