Steven Ian Maes jailed in Mackay for choking mother of kids

A father posted a nude photograph of the mother of his children to Facebook calling her a “hooker who had hepatitis C” just hours before he viciously choked her. Read what else he did.

Steven Ian Maes faced Mackay District Court on Thursday, October 19, 2023.

A father posted a nude photograph of the mother of his children to Facebook calling her a “hooker who had hepatitis C” just hours before he viciously choked her.

Mackay District Court on Thursday heard father-of-two Steven Ian Maes was banned from going near the home of his former de facto partner of 10 years, the mother of his two children aged four and 10.

The Domestic Violence Order, put in place on September 2, 2021, also required him to have no contact with his ex and to be of good behaviour.

Crown prosecutor Monique Sheppard said early on New Year’s Day, 2023, the 32 year old sent numerous “disgusting and derogatory” texts to his former partner.

The court heard he continued the abuse and uploaded an intimate photo of her to Facebook, calling her a “hooker with hepatitis C”.

Ms Sheppard said he then went to her North Mackay unit multiple times and was found “lurking” outside.

Maes then gained entry, accused her of cheating, and with his palm slapped his victim before grabbing her throat, pushing her against the window and choking her.

“She couldn’t breathe, she felt dizziness and suffered blurry vision,” Ms Sheppard said.

The mother suffered scratches and bruising to her neck.

The court heard Maes soon apologised but not long after paramedics took the mother to hospital, he re-entered the unit and yelled, “Where is that stupid b-tch?”

Ms Sheppard said this was not Mae’s first act of violence towards his former partner, having formerly placed “his hand over her mouth and nose while squeezing her body”.

Ms Sheppard asked Judge John Allen to consider a sentence of two-and-a-half to three years jail.

Barrister Paul Rutledge, instructed by Barron and Allen, said Mae’s early guilty pleas to all charges showed his remorse.

Mae pleaded guilty to three contraventions of a domestic violence order; common assault (domestic violence); choking, suffocation or strangulation in a domestic relationship; and distributing intimate images (domestic violence).

Mr Rutledge said Mae had already served a “fair period of time in jail”, being nine-and-a-half months, and he had engaged in United Care’s Choosing Change program.

Judge Allen said Mae should be “thoroughly ashamed” and it was concerning there was an “escalation” of domestic violence towards his former partner.

He said it was further worrying that Mae’s previous time in custody for domestic violence offending had not served as a deterrent.

Judge Allen said he took into account Mae’s remorse and his positive employment aspects.

Mae was sentenced to two years and nine months’ jail with a parole release date of October 20, with 291 days of pre-sentence custody declared as time already served.