Alexander Thomas Hubert Clark-Kennedy pleads guilty to unlawfully choking his former partner

A Palmwoods man has been sentenced after he choked his now ex-girlfriend in their kitchen after she’d asked him to leave the house for the night.

A Palmwoods man who choked his partner while heavily intoxicated has been allowed back into the community to serve his sentence.

Alexander Thomas Hubert Clark-Kennedy, 27, pleaded guilty on June 16, 2022, in Maroochydore District Court to unlawfully choking his then partner in their home.

The court heard the pair were no longer in a relationship.

Crown prosecutor Ellie Bowlam said Clark-Kennedy had been drinking and was “heavily intoxicated” when his partner had come home from work on May 7, 2020.

The pair had then drove to the shops in the woman’s car where they argued throughout the trip.

Ms Bowlam said the couple were “yelling and screaming at each other”.

“Throughout this the defendant made harsh comments towards the complainant and in response she punched him in the face,” Ms Bowlam said.

When the couple returned home, the woman gave Clark-Kennedy an opportunity to a call a friend to come pick him up.

She then drove away to park her car and returned to the house to cook dinner in the kitchen.

During this time, Clark-Kennedy had continued to drink on the veranda and entered the kitchen to tell the woman, who hadn’t realised he was still at the house, that he had someone coming to collect him.

Ms Bowlam said Clark-Kennedy then showered before returning to the kitchen to discuss the plan with the woman.

“His mood suddenly changed, he became emotional, cried and approached within an arm's length of the complainant,” she said.

“He grabbed her neck with both of his hands, she couldn't breathe.

“The complainant was shocked and scared.”

The court heard during the choking incident, which lasted about 10 to 15 seconds, Clark-Kennedy shook the woman and told her that she “ruined his life”.

Ms Bowlam said Clark-Kennedy also told the woman that he did not want their relationship to be over and he loved her.

When Clark-Kennedy let go, the woman left the house and phoned police and was then taken to hospital for treatment.

“She had redness on her neck and could feel where the defendant‘s hands were placed on her neck due to the forceful grip he had used,” Ms Bowlam said.

The court heard Clark-Kennedy, who was arrested by police a short time later, recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.204 at the station.

He was charged and served 14 days pre-sentence custody before being granted Supreme Court Bail.

Clark-Kennedy’s defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown said despite abusing alcohol at the time, his client’s behaviour was completely out of character.

“He is a person who has realised he made a terrible mistake, he says it has affected almost every waking thought he’s had since it occurred,” Mr Ygoa-McKeown said.

“That is not the type of person he ever aspired to be or is but it was an isolated incident.”

The court heard Clark-Kennedy has since written a letter of apology to his victim, who has in turn told the police the incident has not caused her any long-term harm.

Judge Glen Cash sentenced Clark-Kennedy to 18 months in prison, which has been suspended after he took into account the 14 days the man had already spent behind bars.