Extremely brutal attack on wife over alleged cheating

A man paranoid that his wife was cheating and his children were being raped by family members carried out a series of offences a judge described as ‘extremely brutal’.

Alec Angel Cifuentes, 28, pleaded guilty on July 29 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, two of choking, one of deprivation of liberty and two breaches of a domestic violence order.

A man paranoid that his wife was cheating and his children were being raped by family members carried out a series of offences a judge described as ‘extremely brutal’.

Alec Angel Cifuentes, 28, pleaded guilty on July 29 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, two of choking, one of deprivation of liberty and two breaches of a domestic violence order.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the violence started when Cifuentes arrived home from work at 4am on October 16, 2020, and accused his wife of infidelity which led to the couple arguing.

She said Cifuentes punched her and she fell to the ground where she laid while he kicked her with his steel cap boots.

Ms Lawrence said the defendant also smashed her head against the carpeted floor several times.

She said Cifuentes then grabbed her by the neck with one hand and pinned her to a wall while he choked her, causing her to feel dizzy.

Ms Lawrence said the victim attempted to fight the defendant off and eventually, he let go of her.

She said the couple then went to bed together.

Ms Lawrence said the defendant continued the argument, saying the victim was having affairs or arranging to have sex with other men.

She said Cifuentes again choked the victim.

Ms Lawrence said the defendant then walked outside, armed with a knife, and threatened to kill himself.

She said Cifuentes did put the knife down and the couple went to bed together.

Ms Lawrence said the victim woke up about 11am and began watching television.

She said the defendant restarted the earlier argument and the victim left the house.

Ms Lawrence said the victim was walking down a hill when Cifuentes drove up to her.

She said the victim told Cifuentes she was going to complain to police about him and she wanted a divorce.

Ms Lawrence said Cifuentes physically picked up the victim and “bundled her” into the car while she was screaming out for help.

She said the victim tried to open the door many times to escape, however the defendant closed it on her each time and then drove them back to their home.

A neighbour witnessed the defendant putting the victim in the car and called police.

Police attended their home, photographed the victim’s injuries and arrested Cifuentes who admitted to all the offending, including threatening to kill the woman during one of the choking incidents.

Ms Lawrence said Cifuentes told police he had threatened to kill the victim to scare her from cheating on him.

“It was a protracted assault,” she said.

Defence barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said his client had not been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia prior to the incident, but his twin brother had in 2016.

The court heard Cifuentes had been delusional at the time, thinking his wife was having an affair and his children were being sexually abused by family members, and he had set up CCTV which he delusionally thought was sending him messages.

Mr Ahlstrand said Cifuentes, who had acute leukaemia as a child, was one of three children and grew up on a tobacco farm in Mareeba.

He said his client had completed the third year of a chef’s apprenticeship and a certificate III in security.

Mr Ahlstrand said his client worked in security at Townsville nightclubs and then mines.

The court heard Cifuentes has smoked hydroponic marijuana until he was 24 years old, stopping because it made him paranoid.

Judge Jeff Clarke said Cifuentes had displayed “disgraceful conduct”.

“You subjected your partner to extreme brutality,” he said.

Judge Clarke sentenced Cifuentes to three years prison, declared 286 days of presentence custody as time served and ordered he be immediately released on parole.