Gregory James Rich choked her partner during struggle for phone

A man whose life started to unravel after two major operations choked his partner during a struggle that was described by a judge as “simply shameful”.

Gregory James Rich’s behaviour on February 18, 2021, at Kawana in Rockhampton was described as “odd, irrational and unpredictable and simply shameful”. He was sentenced on February 9, 2023, for choking his partner during a struggle for her phone in 2021.

A man who choked his partner and elbowed her in the face during an argument, developed an addiction to opioids after being assaulted while remanded in police custody, moving onto methamphetamines after two major surgeries.

Gregory James Rich’s behaviour on February 18, 2021, was described by Judge Jeff Clarke as “odd, irrational and unpredictable and simply shameful”.

Judge Clarke said the 34-year-old “irrationally made a recording alleging that (the victim) had hurt herself and she was going to blame ‘me’ for that despite having been no incident that evening”.

The woman asked Rich who he was texting and he replied with abuse and tried to take her phone, accusing her of intending to call the police.

During a struggle over the phone, Rich elbowed the woman in the face before they both fell down stairs with Rich landing on top of her.

He then choked the woman as she unsuccessfully tried to call out for help, with Rich covering her mouth with his hand.

The woman, with whom Rich has a two-year-old-child, managed to free herself and went next door for refuge.

“Bizarrely (Rich) called the police on triple-0 as if you were the victim,” Judge Clarke said.

Rich told police the woman had come at him with a knife “or otherwise harmed herself”, showing police self-inflicted abrasions on his forearm he claimed she caused, the court was told.

Rich has a dated history of common assault and trespass from 2014 and that he was an assault victim while remanded in custody.

Defence barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said his client developed an addiction for opioids after a bilateral shoulder reconstruction in 2012 and a knee reconstruction in 2014.

Gregory James Rich outside court with barrister Jordan Ahlstrand.

“He was prescribed opioids as part of his medication regimen and he quickly became addicted and he was over using that prescribed medication,” he said.

Mr Ahlstrand said Rich, who had worked in various jobs since leaving school in year nine, moved on to using meth.

He said the landscape gardener was now drug-free, apart from his mental health prescription medications, and in a relationship with a different woman for the past 16 months.

Judge Clarke sentenced Rich to two years’ jail wholly suspended, with 128 days of presentence custody declared as time served.