Regional Queensland man’s horrific hours long violent attack laid bare in court

Abhorrent details of a degrading hour’s long rape and assault, involving an axe, barbecue sauce, and a whip were laid bare in court when a “recidivist dangerous abuser of women” was sentenced for holding a woman captive for several hours.

William Walter John Jordan. Picture: FILE / 7News Toowoomba

Months after a known violent and recidivist domestic violence perpetrator was released on parole a young woman, whose life will never be the same, was added to the man’s ever-expanding list of victims across regional Queensland.

William Walter John Jordan will spend the next five years behind bars before he is eligible to be released into the community again.

When the 41-year-old was sentenced at the Toowoomba District Court on Thursday, August 22, the court was told his violent treatment and disregard of women had escalated to violent sex offences.

The court was told Jordan held the woman captive for a day and unleashed a litany of violent, abusive, and degrading acts upon her.

Crown prosecutor Nicole Friedewald said one morning, the man became abusive to the woman, hitting her in the face and calling her a “sly c--t”.

He told her she was not allowed to leave.

William Walter John Jordan can apply for release on December 3, 2027 Picture: FILE/ 7News Toowoomba

Day of horror

Over several hours the court was told Jordan beat, raped, and degraded the woman.

After suffering repeated punches to the face, Ms Friedewald said the woman attempted to retreat into another room, however she was confronted by an axe sitting on a bed.

“He followed her in,” she said.

“He told her, ‘you’re nothing but a filthy dirty sl-t and I’ll f--k you like a sl-t gets f--ked.

“He threatened that if she didn’t do what he asked her to do he would get his mates around to gang rape her.”

Following numerous rapes, Jordan smashed her phone and hit it with an axe, however Ms Friedewald said “the violence did not stop there”.

Jordan then strangled the woman for about a minute, and while she struggled for air he told her, “I will keep choking you until you pass out”, and blamed her for the violence.

During further physical abuse, Ms Friedewald said Jordan emptied buckets of water on the woman, threw barbecue sauce on her body, and continued to threaten her life, and her family’s lives.

During the day, he also assaulted her with a stockman’s whip, the court heard.

The court was told the rape survivor was saved by chance later that day after someone visited the home by chance and saw the injured woman and alerted others.

Lost faith in humanity 

Ms Friedewald said the disgusting, cruel, and protracted incident warranted, at least, warranted a 10-year jail term.

“(He) shows a complete lack of insight…and (has) inherent disrespect for women... (and) a complete lack of understanding of consent,” she said.

“The fact he was on parole at the time and that history is not just atrocious due to its length and nature of it but the repeated acts of violence towards different women.”

She also submitted Jordan be declared as a serious violent offender, which would require him to serve at least eight years behind bars.

“She has been significantly impacted… to the point she describes it as making her lose faith in humanity,” she said.

William Walter John Jordan deemed a risk to women. Picture: FILE/ 7News Toowoomba

“Despite this, she still hopes (Jordan) can get help… so that he’s no longer negatively impacting women and their family’s lives and that his controlling and manipulating behaviour is ruining lives.”

Defence barrister Frank Martin told the court the father of a teenage girl had a highly prejudicial upbringing and that a long standing drug habit fuelled his criminal history and offending.

He noted Jordan entered a plea of guilty, saving the woman the burden of standing trial, and stated he had no prior entries for sex offences which meant he should revive less time.

Deemed a danger to women

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC told Jordan, like many “cowardly abusive men”, he blamed the survivor for the horrible violence he was solely responsible for.

Judge Horneman-Wren noted the facts of the sexual offending, “demonstrates that you must have experienced sexual arousal from the violent confrontation”.

“All of this was against her protest,” he said.

“When I sentenced you for violence (in the past) it was for assault occasioning bodily harm inflected on two former domestic partners 19 months apart,” the judge said.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC.

“You were given the benefit of a parole release on that day to give you certainly (of release, then) you committed these offences while on parole.

“Your offending has escalated.

“You are a serious recidivist dangerous abuser of women – public protection looms large.”

He said there were mitigating factors requiring a lesser sentence to be imposed, chiefly Jordan’s timely plea of guilty.  

“Your prospects of rehabilitation must be considered to be guarded at best, poor at worst.”

Judge Horneman-Wren sentenced Jordan to an eight-year and six-month jail term, with parole eligibility once 60 per cent of the sentence was served.

Six months and 27 days were declared as timed served and Jordan was not declared a serious violent offender.

He can apply for release on December 3, 2027. 

Originally published as Regional Queensland man’s horrific hours long violent attack laid bare in court