Daniel Dafkovski: Illawarra restaurateur jailed after trying to choke and posting intimate pic of ex online
A well-known Illawarra restaurateur who tried to choke his estranged wife in a fit of rage and later posted an intimate photo of her on Facebook will be released from jail in two days time.
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A well-known Illawarra restaurateur who tried to choke his ex-wife and posted an intimate image of her on Facebook will be released from jail in two days time.
Daniel Dafkovski, who is well-known for his involvement with multiple restaurants around the Illawarra, was sentenced to 13 months jail with a non-parole period of six months by Magistrate Mark Douglass on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to intentionally choking, distributing an intimate image and contravening an apprehended violence order.
During his appearance at Wollongong Local Court, Magistrate Douglass told Dafkovski his offending was serious, noting “strangulation is potentially a fatal act”.
“It is a violent act towards someone who was at that time defenceless,” he said.
In documents tendered to the court, it was revealed Dafkovski flew into a fit of rage on December 5, after a heated conversation with his estranged wife.
Dafkovski started calling her derogatory names, prompting his wife to send a message to Dafkovski’s mother about his behaviour. But, she accidentally sent the message to Dafkovski himself.
After receiving the message, he ran into his estranged wife’s room, jumped on the bed and straddled her before putting both hands over her throat, with the woman telling police she couldn’t breathe or scream for approximately 30 seconds.
Court documents say a neighbour heard the commotion and banged on the adjoining bedroom wall, prompting Dafkovski to let go of his wife’s neck.
The woman ran to her neighbour. She reported the incident to police and Dafkovski was arrested and charged.
He was released on conditional bail, however, on January 15, he posted an intimate image of his estranged wife on Facebook, leading to his rearrest.
During his sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Dafkovski’s defence lawyer Rob Steward told the court despite a “troubling history” of mental health issues, he had good prospects of rehabilitation.
“There are decent prospects of rehabilitation,” Mr Steward said. “This period in custody has been a particularly enlightening one for him.”
Magistrate Douglass agreed, noting he had significant support from his family.
However, he also noted Dafkovski’s offending was extremely serious, and his sentence needed to deter other people from acting in the same way.
“The courts must take these sorts of assaults as being very serious,” he said.
“It was domestic in nature and occurred in the home where people should feel safe and confident that they will not be assaulted.”
As well as imposing a jail sentence, Magistrate Douglass also placed Dafkovski on a 20-month community corrections order, ordering he undertake mental health treatment and abstain from drug use.
With time already served, Dafkovski will be released from jail later this week.