Jail for thug who choked ex-partner until she passed out and punched her while she held child
A Frankston North man viciously attacked his former partner and mother of their child, strangling her until she passed out and punching her as she held the two-year-old in her arms. And the brute attacked her more than once.
South East
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A woman basher who strangled his former girlfriend in front of their young child until she blacked out — before choking her again — has been jailed for 13 months.
Michael Valentine also punched his ex and splashed toilet water in her face as their two-year-old toddler screamed in distress.
Valentine appeared via video link at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to recklessly cause injury and unlawful assault charges.
The court heard the Frankston North 30-year-old was on a community corrections order at the time and had a history of attacking his former female partners.
The woman read aloud her victim impact statement which detailed how she feared she would be killed and how her child’s life has been changed forever.
She said he had “beaten her physically, mentally and emotionally”.
She said her daughter, now three, was so traumatised she couldn’t go to the toilet on her own, has nightmares and suffers from separation anxiety.
“I was frightened for my safety, even more frightened for the safety of my child,” she said.
“She was a two-year-old, I was holding her in my arms during the (toilet) incident.
“As he was strangling me I begged for my life, I believed these were the last moments of my life.”
But Valentine was not happy at having to hear the impact of his crimes, constantly interjecting, ranting and raving before he stormed out of the prison interview room.
The case was stood down and he had to be called back later, when he appeared less agitated but still emotional, occasionally sobbing as the case continued.
The court heard on April 8 the woman, who had separated from Valentine, went to his house so he could see their child.
As she took her daughter to the toilet he came in the bathroom, yelling abuse at her before he struck her to the side of her head.
He then held her against the side of the toilet bowl, splashing toilet water in her face and choking her with one hand before she managed to get up, leave the house and drive home.
Later that night he sent her videos of himself threatening self-harm and she felt obliged to go and see if he was OK, so drove back to his home.
When she got there Valentine, who had been drinking heavily, pushed her, grabbed her throat with both hands and squeezed until she passed out and fell on the hallway floor.
After she came round he grabbed her around the throat a second time, but she escaped and ran to a neighbour for help.
Police were called and Valentine was arrested and remanded in custody.
His defence lawyer told the court he had a traumatic childhood and self-medicated with alcohol to try and cope with his mental health issues.
Magistrate Charles Tan said significant periods of prison time awaited people who placed their hands around the throats of their partners.
Valentine was jailed for 13 months with a non-parole period of seven months, minus 91 days he has already served.
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