DV drunken ‘monster’ chokes stepdaughter who tried to stop him fighting neighbours

‘So fearful she couldn’t move’: A drunken violent “monster” choked his 17-year-old step daughter after she and her mother tried to stop him from fighting their neighbours.

A drunken, violent “monster” choked his 17-year-old step daughter after she and her mother tried to stop him from fighting neighbours upset because he was revving his car at 2am.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced in Rockhampton District Court last month after pleading guilty to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one of choking.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the defendant, 45, had a six-page criminal record with most of the convictions for domestic violence.

“He has an appalling history for domestic violence,” she said.

“This is a significant escalating in his offending conduct.

“It appears he has a prolonged difficulties with alcohol or some intoxicating substance and that hasn’t been addressed.”

She said his stepdaughter was woken up between 2am and 3am in September 2020 to the sound of revving coming from the garage.

Ms Lawrence said she found the defendant in the driver’s seat with his three-year-old child in the car with him.

She said the defendant was intoxicated, had slurred speech and was tripping over when he got out of the car and swayed.

Ms Lawrence said the teen went to the bathroom and came back to find the garage door open and three neighbours in the driveway, telling the defendant it was too early in the morning to be revving the car and that they had called police.

She said the defendant became angry and approached one of the neighbours and yelled racial insults, with the neighbour putting up his hands as if to fight.

Ms Lawrence said the teen exited the garage and pushed the defendant back inside to stop him from fighting.

She said the teen managed to get the defendant to the car and while she was pushing him, he managed to punch one of the neighbours in the mouth.

Ms Lawrence said the teen’s sister and mother came out and helped get the defendant back inside and apologised to the neighbours.

She said the defendant then left the house and went to approach one of the neighbours a few houses away.

Ms Lawrence said the stepdaughter followed and the defendant put his hand around her throat and pushed her backwards for five seconds before letting her go.

She said he was “hurling abuse at the neighbours at the time” and his partner pushed him back inside and closed the garage.

The defendant repeatedly tried to leave the house with his partner and stepdaughter continually blocking his exits.

Ms Lawrence said he returned to the kitchen and yelled at his partner that she was “belittling” him in front of the neighbours, saying “you should be on my side, not the side of that ni----”.

She said he attempted to leave via the garage but his stepdaughter blocked his way and told him she didn’t want him to “do something stupid”.

The defendant responded by grabbing her by the throat, putting his hand around her neck applying pressure and pushing her up against a fridge.

“She was unable to breath and so fearful she couldn’t move,” Ms Lawrence said.

She said this lasted for a minute or two before her mother intervened and shoved the defendant into the lounge room.

The defendant then attempted to punch his partner, but his stepdaughter pushed him and yelled “no”.

He then punched his partner multiple times with one punch hitting her on the right side of her head.

Police arrived soon after and the stepdaughter was taken to the hospital to be treated for soft tissue damage to her neck.

Defence barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said both of the defendant’s parents had died from cancer – his dad in 2005 and mum in 2016.

He said the defendant had two children with a previous partner and had acted as a stepfather to his partner’s three children.

Mr Ahlstrand said alcohol had been a problem for his client after he started drinking when he was 17.

He said the reason why the defendant had not accumulated more charges since he was last released on parole was because he was watching and controlling his drinking.

Judge Jeff Clarke suggested the defendant might be one of those people who shouldn’t drink a drop of alcohol and suggested asking his doctor for a prescription for the medication that causes people to be violently ill if they have one drop of alcohol.

“Your criminal record shows when you drink, you become a monster … quite a disagreeable violent person,” Judge Clarke said.

He pointed out the defendant, based on his conduct during the court proceedings, indicated he had taken full responsibility for his actions, which Judge Clarke said was unusual in cases such as these.

Judge Clarke sentenced the man to three years prison, declared 331 days of presentence custody and set parole release on August 30, 2021.

QUEENSLAND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICES

DVConnect Womensline: 1800 811 811

DVConnect Mensline: 1800 600 636

1800RESPECT national hotline: [phone]

Helem Yumba CQ Healing Centre is open Monday to Friday, between 8.30am to 4.30pm, at 14 Fitzroy Street, Rockhampton.

For more information, go to www.cqhealing.com.au.

To report domestic and family violence to police via Policelink, go to www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.