“Let my mummy go”: Carlin Michael Joseph O’Leary jailed for strangling a woman

A man who attacked a woman in front of her six-year-old son as the little boy pleaded for him to stop has faced an Ipswich court.

A Raceview man has been jailed after strangling a woman in front of her son, who pleaded for him to free her.

Carlin Michael Joseph O’Leary, 38, pleaded guilty this morning (July 14) in Ipswich District Court to assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence) and strangulation in a domestic setting.

The court heard that on February 7, 2021, O’Leary and the woman were at his home with his eight-year-old son and the woman’s six-year-old son.

They were planning to take both children to the park, but O’Leary and the woman got into an argument.

The court heard that the argument became heated, and the woman picked up a nearby stick vacuum and threw it towards the ground – and that it accidentally struck O’Leary in the arm.

O’Leary responded by punching her in the arm, causing a bruise.

He then grabbed the woman by the throat and pushed her to the ground, using his weight to hold her down.

The court heard that the woman experienced difficulty breathing, that her vision blurred and she made a gargling sound.

The woman’s six-year-old son was present at the time, and he screamed “let my mummy go.”

The woman went to Ipswich Hospital, where they noted ligature marks on her neck, muscle tenderness, swelling to her hand, bruising and a scratch to her left upper arm.

O’Leary was arrested by the police shortly after, and he immediately confessed to punching the woman, grabbing her by the neck and pushing her to the ground – but not to strangling her.

Judge Amanda McDonnell noted that O’Leary had entered an early plea of guilty, expressed remorse and entered into psychological counselling a month after the incident.

Judge McDonnell noted O’Leary was convicted in May, 2007 of two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and possessing a weapon for a road rage incident in which he used capsicum spray on another driver – and it hit a four year old child in the back seat.

“Domestic violence is unacceptable and a scourge in the community,” she said.

O’Leary was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for assault occasioning bodily harm offence and 18 months for the strangulation in a domestic setting offence.

His parole release date was set for six months time, on January 13, 2023.