Craig Austin Cameron faces Southport Magistrate Court charged with 22 offences

A man allegedly told his partner the only way to escape their relationship was to kill herself, or be killed, a court has heard.

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A man allegedly told his partner the only way to escape their relationship was to kill herself, or be killed, a court has heard.

Craig Austin Cameron, 42, appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday charged with 22 offences, including assault occasioning bodily harm, strangulation, deprivation of liberty and torture.

The offences allegedly occurred on the Gold Coast from October 2014 to this year.

Prosecutor Daniel Cuschieri, who objected to Cameron’s bail during a failed application, told the court that in one instance Cameron’s mother phoned police out of concerns his partner would be killed.

“The defendant has made threats to kill the victim, by burning down her house while she was in it,” said Mr Cuschieri, reading from a bail objection.

A Gold Coast man charged with a string of domestic violence offences has been denied bail.

“The victim has suffered at the hands of the defendant for seven years and he has told her the only way to escape is to kill herself, or to be killed by him.”

Mr Cuschieri invited the Magistrate “to cast your mind back to February 2020, and also April 2021”.

“Whilst I am not playing on the court’s emotional heart strings, the court and society has seen that there is a huge unacceptable risk in relation to these types of allegations … especially with those active threats,” he said.

Cameron’s lawyer, Brooke Winter, of Brooke Winter Solicitors, said it wasn’t a matter for heart strings, but rather law.

He argued bail should be granted as his client had strong ties to the community and had a network of friends on the Gold Coast.

Mr Winter said the charges were “vague” and “largely uncorroborated” from the material. He described the prosecution case as “questionable”.

But Magistrate Grace Kahlert refused bail.

She said the charges contained “very serious allegations” against the “same complainant”.

Ms Kahlert said one of the concerns of police was the safety of the alleged victim.

“The allegations made, including allegations that the defendant has threatened to kill the aggrieved, burn the house down with her in it … and that again is of great concern,” she said.

The matter will return to court on Friday.