Dominic Best charged over choking, domestic assault
A magistrate has slammed an experienced Sydney insurance professional after a court heard he assaulted his then-girlfriend in her own home – then violently choked her only days later.
St George Shire Standard
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An experienced insurance manager has lost his job and narrowly avoided full-time prison after he violently choked his former girlfriend at her home when she poured his whisky down the sink after an argument.
Dominic Best, 35, spent a night in custody after his shocking arrest on May 5 charged with intentional choking, assault causing actual bodily harm and two counts of contravening an AVO over two separate assaults on his then-partner within less than a week.
The court heard that on April 29 Best grabbed the woman by both wrists and slid his hands up to her neck, leaving her bruised.
Days later on May 5, an argument resulted in Best’s former partner pouring his whisky down the sink at her home before he pushed her out of her kitchen and choked her for 10 seconds.
Magistrate Holly Kemp at Sutherland Local Court slammed Best’s offending as “troubling behaviour”.
“To apply pressure to someone’s neck, therefore impairing someone’s breathing, while in a state of anger is so dangerous,” Ms Kemp said.
“This is high level domestic violence in her home, a place where she was entitled to feel safe – it is totally unacceptable behaviour.”
Best pleaded guilty to all four charges at the first opportunity and was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment to be served in the community as an intensive corrections order for choking his former partner.
The Arncliffe man was also sentenced to three 12-month community corrections orders with supervision and requirements to be of good behaviour and abstain from alcohol.
An apprehended violence order will legally prevent Best from contacting his former partner for five years or being within 75m of her at any time.
Best’s solicitor Patrick O’Sullivan conceded there was “little to redeem” his client in the police facts.
However, Mr O’Sullivan said after the incident Best had immediately taken it upon himself to seek counselling through Relationships Australia and a private provider and began attending Alcoholics Anonymous.
“He recognises his shortcomings, the serious issues that were going on that led to his offending, and he appreciates the gravity of how badly he messed up,” Mr O’Sullivan told the court.
“Mr Best has committed to change, and to never offending again in this regard.”
The court also heard Best had remained sober despite the sudden death of his mother some weeks after the offences and had lost his management role at an insurance company.
“I’m satisfied that you are remorseful for your actions, you’ve sent an unreserved apology to the complainant, and you’re taking significant and positive steps towards your ongoing rehabilitation,” Ms Kemp said.
“If not for the positive and significant steps you’ve taken, this would have been a sentence of full-time custody.”