‘I’m going to kill you’: Ararat man assaults, strangles woman for an hour

It took only three months for an Ararat man to show he was a “jealous and controlling partner” who repeatedly strangled and threatened to kill his love interest, a court has heard.

An Ararat man hit, choked, and threatened to kill a woman during an hour-long altercation, after which he complained his victim got him “in trouble”.

David John Reid, 43, appeared in Ballarat County Court on Wednesday.

The court heard Reid met a woman on Facebook in early 2021 and began a relationship with her.

But it was not long before the woman realised Reid was a “jealous and controlling partner”.

On the evening of April 25 that year, Reid went to the woman’s home and they argued about her apparent communication with other men.

Reid left after 15 minutes, later posting a picture of the pair online and writing: “Such a shame u [sic] couldn’t stop talking to other blokes, you will be missed.”

When the woman phoned Reid about the matter after 10pm, the two accused each other of infidelity.

Eventually Reid went “to comfort” the woman in person.

Early the next morning, Reid put his arm around the woman and was pushed away: the woman later told police she “smacked” Reid several times.

Reid became angry and threw her on the floor, saying: “I’m going to wreck you; I’m going to kill you.

“You should know not to make someone like me angry,” he said.

He strangled his victim until she could not move or breathe and hit her face and head “many times”.

Reid ripped off the woman’s pyjama pants and touched her genital area despite the woman trying to fight him off.

He continued to hit her face when she tried to get away, and strangled his victim “four or five times”.

The confrontation went on for about an hour.

When Reid went to the bathroom, the woman tried to call for help, but could not make a phone call in time.

Reid then re-entered the room and apologised, otherwise “acting as if nothing had happened”.

But he recommenced his assault when the woman did not respond.

Reid was later pulled over by police in Ararat for unrelated reasons, and told them he had been in a domestic dispute, during which – he said – there had not been any violence or threats made.

He 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.

“I will always love you.”

Later he added: “Thanks for getting me in trouble … U bashed into me, I hope you told them that”.

Reid was arrested on April 29 and remanded in custody.

In court on Wednesday, 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.

His case will resume in May.