Courtney Muggleton: Maclean woman charged with choking, assault

A northern NSW vet nursing student choked her partner – a Corrective Services officer – twice and slammed her head into the wall during a series of domestic arguments, a court has heard.

A northern NSW vet nursing student choked her fiance and repeatedly slammed her head into a wall, causing her to flee in terror following a series of domestic arguments sparked by a broken glass, a court has heard.

Courtney Muggleton, 28, was charged with two counts of intentionally choking someone without their consent and two counts of assault causing actual bodily harm after two incidents involving her fiance at their Maclean home on July 15 and 16.

Muggleton pleaded guilty to all four offences at Maclean Local Court on September 15, where she was supported by the victim – her fiance and a NSW Corrective Services officer.

The court heard the couple had recently moved to Maclean from Toowoomba in southeast QLD for the victim’s employment, which had placed some strain on the relationship.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden said an accidental martini glass breakage prompted their first altercation on July 15.

Courtney Muggleton, 28, at Maclean Local Court on September 15.

“The offender removed her engagement ring and threw it at the victim,” Ms Crittenden read from the police facts tendered to the court.

“She then pushed her against the wall and placed her hands around the throat, preventing her breathing momentarily.”

Ms Crittenden said the violence then escalated the following day after the pair briefly reconciled and went to sleep.

“The offender grabbed the victim by the throat, applying pressure while hitting her with the other hand,” Ms Crittenden said.

“The offender again pushed the victim up against the wall and placed her hands around her throat (until) she was unable to breathe, and twisted her shirt causing it to strangle her.

“She then commenced banging the victim’s head into the wall.”

The victim was then forced to jump a fence at their property to get away, having also been injured after Muggleton pushed her down into a coffee table inside the home.

The victim’s injuries included red marks and abrasions around her throat, and swelling on her wrist and her back from the coffee table

Courtney Muggleton, 28, at Maclean Local Court on September 15.

“This is significant violence, there are significant injuries to the victim and it’s repeated conduct,” Ms Crittenden said.

“There is a marked difference between (what happened on) the 15th and the 16th in terms of objective seriousness and the offences of the 16th are of significant gravity.”

Ms Crittenden acknowledged a sentence assessment report which assessed Muggleton had a low risk of reoffending, noted that she was remorseful and had insight into her offending conduct.

The magistrate said the choking and assault which occurred on July 16 was too serious to be dealt with by a non-custodial sentence, which was conceded by Muggleton’s solicitor.

Ms Crittenden convicted her of both charges and sentenced her to an intensive corrections order for nine months after determining her custodial term could be served in the community.

For the choking and assault which occurred on July 15, Ms Crittenden convicted Muggleton and sentenced her to a community corrections order for 12 months with supervision by Community Corrections and 100 hours’ community service.