Daniel Bruce Kurtz had convictions for domestic violence against three different women, court told

The 34-year-old with domestic violence convictions against three different women described himself as “Bad Dan and Good Dan”.

Toowoomba Courthouse

A 34-year-old man with convictions for domestic violence against three different women has been urged to get off the grog and get anger management counselling.

Daniel Bruce Kurtz told police there were two sides to him – “Bad Dan and Good Dan”, Toowoomba District Court heard.

And, on these particular occasions he had been “Bad Dan”, he said.

Kurtz had spent exactly one year in jail since his arrest before appearing in Toowoomba District Court to plead guilty to 10 offences committed against the same woman including strangulation in a domestic setting, assault occasioning bodily harm, two counts of wilful damage and three each of common assault and breaching orders.

Toowoomba Courthouse on Hume St, Toowoomba City

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald told the court the offences included Kurtz sending “copious” abusive text messages to the woman with whom he had been in a relationship for two years.

He had also grabbed her by the chin, telling her he hated her, before digging his fingernails into her chest on one occasion, she said.

One of the more serious incidents included Kurtz pointing a knife at the woman, telling her he wanted to slit her throat, before holding the knife against her left cheek and grabbing her by the neck, leaving her gasping for breath, she said.

Kurtz had then punched the woman, she said.

Defence barrister Steve Kissick told the court alcohol was his client’s primary problem but the 12 months he had spent in jail got him sober and had been a “significant circuit breaker” for him.

Kurtz would have no further contact with the complainant woman and upon his release from jail he intended to live with his mother in Toowoomba and return to concreting for a firm he had worked for since 2013, he said.

Judge Paul Smith

Judge Paul Smith urged Kurtz to seek counselling for his issues upon release from jail.

“It’s a matter for you but unless you do something about, 1 anger management, 2 alcohol, and 3 your relationships with women, you’ll keep coming back here,” Judge Smith told him.

“It’s three years today and it will get longer and longer.

“So think about that, you’ve been off the grog now for 12 months is that right? So why go back to it?”

“I won’t be,” Kurtz replied.

Judge Smith sentenced Kurtz to three years in jail but, declaring the 366 days of presentence custody as time already served, ordered he be released on parole forthwith.

Originally published as Daniel Bruce Kurtz had convictions for domestic violence against three different women, court told