Thomas Owen Kerr threatens to rip partner’s throat out before turning her into a vegetable

A man who threatened to turn his partner into a vegetable after ripping out her throat was upset she had cheated on him with another man.

A MAN who threatened to turn his partner into a vegetable after ripping out her throat was upset she had cheated on him with another man.

Thomas Owen Kerr, 34, was in a relationship with the woman when on June 20 last year the woman attempted to leave Kerr’s Belgian Gardens unit at 3.30am.

The Townsville District Court heard Kerr grabbed the woman by her arm and told her to “get the f--k back inside the house” because she was making a scene.

Kerr then punched the woman in the head.

The next day Kerr rang the woman and threatened to smash up her sister’s house and kill the dog.

Crown prosecutor Catherine Holden said on June 23 the woman went to Kerr’s house where she confessed to being with another man at the beginning of their relationship.

“He proceeded to question her for several hours if she had been unfaithful to him. At one point he held a knife to her throat and said, I will rip your throat out,” she said.

MORE NEWS>>>

• Murder charge over Jennifer Board’s crash death

• Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto says vigilantes still a threat under soft laws

• Townsville Bulletin outlines five changes it believes need to be made to the youth justice act

“He said she would have to kill (the man) in front of the defendant and afterwards he would make her suffer and would turn her into a vegetable.”

The court heard the following day Kerr punched the woman and cracked her ribs before punching her twice in the back of her head.

Kerr pleaded guilty to five charges including two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Defence barrister Wayne Pennell said his client had an exceptional work history but had lost his employment after the suicide of his brother in early 2020.

“It had a significant and deep impact on him and he ceased work and he started drinking alcohol again and got involved with drugs,” he said.

“He got into a relationship at the same time and it was that relationship that led to this particular incident that is before the courts.”

As Kerr appeared via video link from prison he wiped away tears with his shirt.

Judge John Coker told Kerr his behaviour was “unwarranted in any shape or form”.

“Domestic violence is a scourge upon our society,” he said.

“It was a vicious and unprovoked attack and I suspect alcohol use by you was a factor involved in that loss of control.”

After declaring the 230 days spent in pre-sentence custody as time already served, Judge Coker sentenced Kerr to two and a half years’ jail.

A parole release date was set for February 22 this year.

Originally published as Thomas Owen Kerr threatens to rip partner’s throat out before turning her into a vegetable