Ararat abattoir worker jailed over assault, threat to kill

After more than two years in custody, an Ararat man has fronted court to cop his punishment for hitting, choking and threatening to kill a woman.

An Ararat abattoir worker has been jailed for assaulting and threatening to kill a woman.

David John Reid, 44, appeared in County Court on Tuesday.

In January, Reid pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill, intentionally causing injury, assault with intent to commit a sexual offence, and two counts of common assault.

The court heard earlier that Reid hit, choked, and threatened to kill a woman during an hour-long altercation.

During the argument in April 2021, Reid threw his victim on the floor and said: “I’m going to wreck you; I’m going to kill you.”

He strangled the woman several times, hit her face and head, and touched her genital area.

The confrontation went on for about an hour.

Reid continued to send messages to his victim after she had spoken with law enforcement.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I think u would do this to me,” he said.

“I’m sorry for my part in it … you have serious issues & you need help.

Later he complained that the woman had got him in trouble.

“U bashed into me, I hope you told them that,” he said.

Reid was arrested and has now spent 760 days in custody.

In May, the court heard Reid suffered a serious accident when he was 10 years old which caused him with third-degree burns over 20 per cent of his body.

He was left visibly scarred and unable to take part in “normal” childhood activities and was a target for bullying.

On Tuesday, Reid was sentenced to five years’ and six months’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of three years and eight months and 768 days already served.