Thomas Mamaku jailed for bashing and choking partner

A Brisbane man terrorised his partner so much that she was forced to flee from a bathroom window, then engaged his grandma in an attempt to coerce her into dropping the complaint.

A Brisbane man bashed and choked his partner unconscious and continued the abuse the following morning, forcing her to escape via a bathroom window.

He then engaged his grandmother to coerce her into dropping the police complaint.

Camp Hill man Thomas Alexander Ratahi Mamaku, 28, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Thursday to five counts relating to his treatment of his partner.

They included common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm, choking, contravening a domestic violence order, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The assaults and choking occurred at an address in Camp Hill on August 27 last year.

Following an argument, Mamaku struck his partner repeatedly in the head, slapped her face, kicked her in the face and choked her against a wall until she lost consciousness.

All the while, Mamaku was berating the woman with “deeply unpleasant” epithets.

The threatening conduct and abuse continued the following morning, forcing Mamaku’s partner to seek refuge at a neighbour’s after escaping via a bathroom window.

Mamaku was arrested that day and, two days later, was interviewed by police where he gave a self-serving account of what happened.

While in custody, and despite a DVO being put in place, Mamaku contacted his partner 81 times via telephone, in an attempt to pressure her into dropping the complaint.

He then arranged for his grandmother to contact his partner in an attempt to have her drop the charges.

It was submitted on Mamaku’s behalf he had been traumatised by his mother’s drug overdose when he was eight, and was expelled from high school in Year 11 for truancy and cannabis use.

Mamaku subsequently spiralled into harder drug abuse, notably methamphetamine.

When asked by Judge Ian Dearden whether he had anything to say for himself, Mamaku told the court, “I love my family”.

“I hope to do better in future,” Mamaku said.

Judge Dearden said he was gobsmacked Mamaku’s partner continued to support him, despite his abhorrent actions.

He sentenced Mamaku to three years’ imprisonment with immediate release in parole, taking into account the 15 months he spent remanded in pre-sentence custody.