Bradley Johann Edward Neale on trial for driving at ex in Rockhampton

A Queensland construction company boss is accused of using his car as a weapon against his ex-partner and trying to run her down near a shopping precinct.

A Queensland business owner admits he sent spiteful messages to his former partner, calling her a “deceitful lying c---” but denies choking and driving his car at her.

A Queensland business owner admits he sent spiteful messages to his former partner, calling her a “deceitful lying c---” but denies choking and driving his car at her.

Bradley Johann Edward Neale, who owns construction business Top View Maintenance, has pleaded not guilty to five charges in front of a jury in the Rockhampton District Court.

Those charges are two counts of common assault, one of choking, one of wilful damage and one of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Crown prosecutor Joshua Phillips said Mr Neale and the alleged victim started dating in 2017 with the first alleged physical violence event occurring on Christmas Day 2020.

He said Mr Neale was accused of grabbing the victim by the wrist, squeezing it while he moved as if he was going to punch her, during an argument.

Mr Neale is not accused of punching the victim on this occasion.

Mr Phillips said the next alleged incident took place on 19 April, 2022, when the couple argued about how late Mr Neale had stayed out the night before.

He said during the argument, Mr Neale allegedly pushed the victim off the Ottoman she was sitting on, with the victim landing on the ground and choked her “until she almost passed out.

Mr Phillips said the second assault allegedly involved Mr Neale pushing the victim to the ground, grabbing a nearby hose and spraying water directly into her face.

That alleged incident occurred during an argument over how Mr Neale was treating the victim, he said.

The next incident allegedly occurred due to an argument where “suspected infidelity” appeared to be “at the heart” of it.

He said the victim went on a trip to Townsville in January 2023 and when she returned, Mr Neale allegedly accused her of going to the North Queensland city to “sleep with somebody”.

The court heard Mr Neale was accused of threatening to break the woman’s legs and throwing chemical drums at her to which she responded by flipping the bird at him.

Mr Phillips played some of the CCTV footage to the jury which was told Mr Neale was accused of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and driving at the victim as she walked along Dean Street, Frenchville, on February 18, 2023.

He pointed to a vehicle travelling towards Mt Archer, saying it was Mr Neale’s and it had an orange spray tank in the back of it.

Mr Phillips said CCTV footage was captured from a camera belonging to a painting business and showed some of the footpath outside businesses on the opposite side of Dean Street, along the stretch where the Foodworks, fish and chips shop and news agency were located.

The video captured Mr Neale allegedly driving across Dean Street, over two lanes where oncoming traffic would travel.

Mr Phillips said Mr Neale was accused of driving “over the kerb” and around the victim as she walked on the footpath, before heading back towards the river.

He said the victim ran back towards her workplace at the Frenchville shops.

Mr Phillips said Mr Neale allegedly then did a U-turn down the road returned to Frenchville shops strip, cuts across the opposing lanes and “mounts the kerb”.

He told the jury Mr Neale was also accused of wilfully damaging the woman’s car by writing a derogatory term on her car door while she was at work.

Mr Phillips read out many messages Mr Neale sent to the victim in 2023.

Defence barrister Russell Pearce said his client had pleaded guilty to the charge in relation to the messages.

The messages included “deceitful lying c---“, “you have a lot of pain on the way”, “slut”, “I’m going to get the dogs”, “you are so deceitful it makes me sick”, “where’s milkshake boy now” and “what’s it like being a deceitful c--, I want to know”.

Defence barrister Russell Pearce said the video “evidence” showed very little.

The original video screen showed the alleged victim in a tiny black line in the upper right corner of the screen.

The video was cropped in closer when played to the jury.

Mr Pearce said his client denied mounting the kerb after the vehicle left the camera’s view.

He said the defence alleged the victim’s testimony would be “over-exaggerated or false”.

He also said the relationship between his client and the woman became dysfunctional and there was violence from both sides and Mr Neale denied criminal responsibility for everything he was being accused of that he had pleaded not guilty to.

He argued the alleged driving in the video may have been negligent driving without due care but did not meet the criminal criteria for the dangerous operation charge.

The trial is expected to take about three days.