Man sentenced in Rockhampton District Court for choking teenage girlfriend

The barrister for a parolee who put his girlfriend into a chokehold when she yelled for help after he hit her said her client was “getting to an age... where he does not want to keep spending his life going into prison”.

Rockhampton Courthouse. generic

Following an argument at a Central Queensland party, a 22-year-old parolee put his then teenage girlfriend into a chokehold and tightly squeezed her throat, leaving her gasping for breath.

The District Court in Rockhampton heard the man had been in a relationship with the teenager for about eight months when he argued with her about her talking to another man.

Judge Jeff Clarke said the argument escalated and he hit the girl in the leg with a shoe.

Judge Clarke said the girl screamed to try to get the attention of some people at the party and the man put her in a chokehold from behind.

He said the man put his elbow against her throat and squeezed tightly.

“Her breath was restricted,” Judge Clarke said.

“She gagged and coughed.”

Judge Clarke said the man released his grip and ran away, later messaging her an apology.

The court heard the offence was committed while the man was on parole for assault offences.

Defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said her client was remorseful and had no intentions of having anything further to do with the girl.

“He is getting to an age, he instructs, where he does not want to keep spending his life going into prison,” she said.

Ms Shaw said her client intended to return to move to another state after being released from custody to live with his family.

“He’s got a long history of drug associates here and it is his opinion he could not find the strength to rehabilitate without getting away to a more supportive environment,” she said.

The man pleaded guilty on February 16 to choking in a domestic setting.

Judge Clarke sentenced him to 2.5 years prison with immediate parole eligibility and declared 299 days of pre-sentence custody as time already served.