Stephen John Fenn charged with assault and choking

The case of a man who denied assaulting and choking his partner has been hit with further delays after an application for Legal Aid was refused.

Stephen John Fenn faced Proserpine Magistrates Court on December 4. Picture: Contributed

The case of a Whitsundays man who denied assaulting and choking his partner has been hit with further delays after an application for Legal Aid was refused.

Stephen John Fenn, 37, faced Proserpine Magistrates Court and asked for more time regarding a serious case of domestic violence that allegedly occurred on May 11.

Mr Fenn, who self-represented on this occasion, was charged with common assault and strangulation in a domestic relationship.

Magistrate Michelle Howard asked Mr Fenn where the case was at, as he had been waiting for a Legal Aid application the last time the case was mentioned.

Mr Fenn told Ms Howard that the application was refused.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors told the court the matter had been dragging for months as the first mention date had been on June 14.

“You honour, it’s not simply a matter of pleading not guilty and then delay, delay, delay, which the defendant keeps on doing,” Ms Myors said.

“It’s a matter that now needs to progress.”

Ms Myors went on to tell Magistrate Howard that the brief of evidence needed to be disclosed immediately and a committal date needed to be chosen.

Ms Howard told Mr Fenn he would need to go and get the brief of evidence from the Whitsunday police station.

“You should speak briefly with the duty lawyer today before you leave the court and pick up the brief so you have it in mind what it is that you need to be doing,” Ms Howard said.

The matter will be next mentioned for a committal date on December 18 and Mr Fenn’s bail was enlarged.