Gold Coast: ‘Cowardly, violent’ James Barclay jailed for viciously assaulting women over two years

A Gold Coast man has been jailed for his ‘cowardly and violent’ attack on a woman. But a court has been told it was just one of his vicious assaults.

A Queensland man smashed a woman’s foot with a cricket bat, choked her until she couldn’t breathe and threatened to burn her house down during a violent domestic confrontation, a court has been told.

Bail orders weren’t enough to stop James Barclay from targeting the women in his life during his “cowardly and violent” behaviour over three years.

His actions culminated in the vicious assault of a woman where he smashed her house up with a shovel and choked her, leaving her with a feeling like she had “swallowed razor blades”.

Southport District Court was told James Barclay viciously assaulted a woman in December 2019 by choking her and smashing her foot with a cricket bat before threatening to burn her house down. It was the third time he had attacked a woman between 2017 and 2019, having been granted bail for two other serious assaults.

Even while in custody, the Gold Coast man attempted to pervert the course of justice by phoning one of the complainants, asking her to tell police her statement was “made up” and over-exaggerated.

Barclay, 34, pleaded guilty at Southport District Court on Monday to a raft of charges, including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wilful damage, strangulation, common assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The court was told Barclay had been on remand multiple times over the past three years and committed some of the offences while on bail.

He got into an argument in December 2019 with a woman at her home after he attended without her permission.

Crown prosecutor Natalie Lima said Barclay put his arm around the woman’s neck and squeezed, making it difficult for her to breathe.

The court was told the woman said she felt like she had “swallowed razor blades”.

None of the women provided victim impact statements to the court but crown prosecutor Natalie Lima said Barclay’s behaviour was ‘cowardly and violent’.

She attempted to slip out of his grasp but Barclay pulled her back into the house, smashing the walls with a shovel.

He grabbed a cricket bat and started smashing a table before hitting the woman’s foot so hard a bone fractured.

Ms Lima said Barclay dragged the woman through her house by her hair as she screamed for help, threatening to get fuel and burn the home down.

He kept the woman in her room for about 30 minutes before allowing her to leave, refusing to call an ambulance.

The woman managed to get assistance from neighbours.

While on remand, Barclay phoned the woman several times from prison to persuade her to withdraw her statement to police.

“It was cowardly, violent behaviour,” Ms Lima told the court.

Ms Lima said Barclay’s attempts to call the complainant from prison tore “at the very heart of the administration of justice”.

“She would have been vulnerable to the defendant’s persuasion,” she said.

Barclay’s first violent offence occurred in September 2017 when he was driving a different woman home on the M1 motorway.

During an argument, he spat at the woman’s eye and broke her nose during a scuffle in the car.

The woman requested he drive her to a hospital but Barclay refused.

Instead, after stopping at an industrial area, he doused her in water to wash the blood off before the pair slept in a van until morning.

While on bail, Barclay assaulted another woman in January 2019 when he stormed into her house in a drunken stupor.

A fight broke out, resulting in Barclay using a garden tool to hit the woman before punching her.

None of the women provided victim impact statements to the court.

Judge David Kent sentenced Barclay to five years and three months jail but set his parole eligibility date for June 13 this year.

More than 16 months spent in pre-sentence custody, which included time on remand between his offending, was declared as time served.

Barclay’s defence lawyer, Terry Morgans, said his client was remorseful for his behaviour, which was underscored by his abuse of alcohol and the drug ice.

Mr Morgans said Barclay’s drug use had placed him in “negative circumstances”, but he had the support of his elderly mother, who lives in NSW.

The court was told Barclay was qualified in the electrical trade and even had a private pilot’s licence.

“He’s remained in contact with his employer … it appears he has an opportunity upon release,” Mr Morgans told the court.

Originally published as Gold Coast: ‘Cowardly, violent’ James Barclay jailed for viciously assaulting women over two years