Luke Darren Bailey pleads guilty to assaults, choking

A Sunshine Coast father spent almost 10 months behind bars on remand after choking a young woman relative.

Luke Darren Bailey faced Maroochydore District Court on Thursday. Picture: Patrick Woods

A Sippy Downs construction supervisor has escaped serving more time behind bars for the callous and brutal attacks on a 19-year-old relative.

Maroochydore District Court heard on Thursday how Luke Darren Bailey subjected his victim to two assaults and strangled her, which led to him spending almost 10 months in prison on remand before being granted bail.

Judge Vicki Loury KC harangued the 35-year-old about his “extreme aggression” at his sentence hearing following pleas of guilty to assault, common assault and choking.

The District Court judge said Bailey and the woman were arguing at their home on November 6 in 2021, where he threw hot kitchen tongs at her, hit her with his palm and shoved her to the floor while yelling.

The court heard she suffered swelling and redness to her face.

Two days later she returned to retrieve her belongings when Bailey remonstrated about how she still owed money for bills.

Bailey let her into the home but threatened to punch her, intimidated her and slammed a shower door against her arm.

Bailey after his sentence. Picture: Sam Turner

It was here Judge Loury said the Sippy Downs man grabbed the woman by the throat, spun her around and put both hands around her neck and lifted her from the ground.

The court was told Bailey carried the woman by the neck from the bathroom to the lounge room.

“She describes having felt light headed, as if she was losing consciousness. She describes thinking that she would die,” Judge Loury stated.

He then dropped her on the floor. She suffered redness to her right temple, eye, neck and below her ears.

A complaint was made to police however in interviews with officers, Judge Loury said Bailey denied the allegations and lied to them.

Bailey works in construction. Picture: Facebook

Prosecutor Rachel Hew, instructed by the director of Public Prosecutions, said he gave a self-serving version.

The Sippy Downs man was arrested on November 22, 2021 and remained in jail on remand before being granted bail 297 days later on September 14, 2022.

Defence barrister Paul Rutledge said the 35-year-old spent time at Woodford jail while on remand before he was moved to Arthur Gorrie due to overcrowding.

“That’s because there’s so many people who offend there, and so many men who strangle women,” Judge Loury said.

“That’s why the prisons are crowded.”

He pleaded guilty. Picture: Sam Turner

Mr Rutledge tendered multiple documents to the court including a psychological report and said it showed insight, which Judge Loury took exception with.

She told Bailey’s defence team from her reading of the medical documents, he was “far from remorseful”.

“Where does she draw that conclusion from, because he doesn’t even admit to her what he did,” Judge Loury asked.

“He doesn’t think that his steroid use had anything to do with this at all.

“I do not understand how she can say he showed insight.”

The barrister said Bailey, who works as a construction supervisor, volunteered at a men’s support organisation and “reconstructed” his life where he recognised his wrongs. Mr Rutledge said it was out of character.

In sentencing, Judge Loury referred to the woman’s victim impact statement where she spoke about the profound pain and sadness she felt from the assaults.

“This sadness will stay with me forever, Luke was my protector ... but I had no one to protect me from him on that day, in that moment, and that was the scariest thing,” the victim stated.

Judge Loury however said he would not return him to custody and granted him immediate parole on a three-year jail sentence, taking into account time he already served.

He must also pay $10,000 in compensation to the victim.