Peter William Notley pleads guilty to choking attack in Kingaroy court

A Toowoomba man who pinned down and strangled his ex-girlfriend in a violent attack has been sentenced in a South Burnett court.

A Toowoomba man who gripped his ex-girlfriend so hard around her neck in a “frighting” attack that marks from his thumbs and fingers were visible, walked free after being released on parole this week.

A Toowoomba man gripped his ex-girlfriend so hard around her neck in a “frightening” attack that marks from his thumbs and fingers were visible on her skin.

Peter William Notley, 45, pleaded guilty in Kingaroy District Court on Wednesday to one count of choking in a domestic setting.

The court heard Notley had been in a relationship with the victim for around 10 months, and his drug abuse had been increasing in the weeks leading up to the date of the incident, which had a noticeable negative effect on his behaviour.

On the day of the offence, in July 2024, the complainant could reportedly tell Notley was “agitated”, and she tried to remove herself from his space in the hope it would calm him down.

However, the court heard he became “immediately violent”, followed her into a bedroom, pinned her down and squeezed her neck with his left hand.

She said she could not breath or scream and felt like she was going to pass out.

Crown prosecutor Andrew Anderson told the court that photos of the victim’s injuries showed “real, significant bruising” and that the marks from his fingers and thumb were visible on her neck.

The court heard Mr Notley became “immediately violent”, followed his ex-partner into a bedroom, pinned her down and squeezed her neck with his left hand.

“The offence involved a frightening and dangerous use of violence,” Mr Anderson said.

“The violence used by the defendant against his partner in their home, considering in the context of his criminal history, is something that warrants a significant custodial component of the sentence.”

The court heard the defendant had a lengthy criminal history, including previous violent offences and drug related convictions, and had served jail time in the past.

He was said to have had long periods of not offending, with a large gap in his criminal history between 2016 and 2023 and good and supportive relationships with his mother and stepfather, who he was living with in the Toowoomba area, and with his daughter and grandchild.

Judge Nicole Kefford said this type of violent behaviour was viewed as a “precursor to offending with much greater consequences for the victims which includes death”.

He took the 293 days Notley served in pre-sentence custody into account and sentenced him to two years in prison’ with immediate parole.