Taylor Broad pleads guilty to choking, assaulting former girlfriend

A man has inflicted frightening acts of domestic violence on his former girlfriend including putting a pillow over her face and calling her a ‘junkie s--t”.

Taylor Christopher Broad faced Maroochydore District Court on Thursday. Picture: Sam Turner

A Parrearra concreter has walked from court after admitting to the cowardly strangulation and assault of his former partner.

Taylor Christopher Broad was instead given a partially suspended sentence for the series of domestic violence incidents on his ex-girlfriend in late 2022 and 2023.

Maroochydore District Court heard on Thursday the details of his crimes against a woman following his guilty pleas of suffocation, common assault, strangulation and wilful damage.

Crown prosecutor Caleb Theunissen said the relationship between the 38-year-old and the younger woman in her early 20s began in September 2022 with the offending starting soon after.

Mr Theunissen said both Broad and the woman used drugs during the relationship.

The court heard the pair was fighting on Christmas Day in 2022 where the Parrearra man called her a “junkie s--t”, pulled her hair and slapped her.

Police were called and the Crown prosecutor said the woman denied what happened at the 38-year-old’s “behest”.

Broad after his sentence. Picture: Sam Turner

Mr Theunissen then played a short snippet of a video from an incident a day later, which involved Broad telling the woman to “shut your f---ing mouth you are a spoiled little c---”.

Those in court and in the public gallery watched as Broad held a pillow briefly over the woman’s face as she was recording for one second where she was unable to breathe for that time.

Mr Theunissen said Broad told the woman it “wouldn’t leave bruises”.

On the same day, the Crown prosecutor said the woman filmed Broad telling her “if you are here when I get back I will belt the f--- out of you, I will bash your f---ing head in, that is how much I hate you … you mean nothing to me”.

More domestic violence occurred on January 25, 2023 where he damaged the woman’s phone.

Another incident occurred on February 10, 2023 where Mr Theunissen said Broad was acting threatening towards her following an argument.

The Parrearra man outside court. Picture: Sam Turner

The Crown prosecutor said this prompted her to pull a small knife in self defence. She told the Parrearra man to stay away.

A struggle ensued over the knife where Broad overpowered her while on the ground

He then grabbed her around the throat with one hand and squeezed while stating “don’t ever come at me with a f---ing knife, do you understand”.

The court heard Broad “increased the pressure” until she couldn’t talk as she struggled to get him off of her. He then slapped her across the face.

The woman spoke to police on March 16, 2023 and Broad was arrested on August 8, 2023 and was remanded in custody until December 1, 2023 after 116 days behind bars.

He spent the next 18 months on bail up until his sentence hearing on Thursday.

Mr Theunissen said despite this time in custody, Broad should be sent back to jail for the offending which included the “vicious and cowardly” second strangulation.

The Crown prosecutor read the woman’s victim impact statement to the court which spoke of the “lasting marks” which were left by Broad’s attack on every part of her life.

He pleaded guilty. Picture: Sam Turner

“The psychological and emotional scars from that time will stay with me for the rest of my life,” she wrote.

“My sense of safety, dignity, and humanity was violated by someone I once trusted, and that violation has changed the way I moved through the world.

“I feel a deep grief for myself, for the future I once imagined, and for the time I’ve lost trying to reclaim parts of me that were taken.”

Defence barrister Simon Lewis said it was “appalling” and drug fuelled conduct which occurred in a “toxic environment” where the pair both used drugs.

Mr Lewis however contended it would be “counter productive” to send the 38-year-old, born in the Victorian town of Geelong, back to jail due to the rehabilitation he had completed partnered with the 18 months he spent on strict bail conditions. The barrister said Broad also offered compensation.

Judge Glen Cash accepted Broad’s remorse and efforts of rehabilitation but said it had to be balanced on the community’s denunciation of domestic violence and the “lasting and profound” impact his offending had on the victim.

He decided to jail Broad for two-and-a-half years but suspended the remainder, taking into account the three months already served behind bars.

The Parrearra man was also placed on an 18-month probation order and must pay the victim $10,000 in compensation.

Originally published as Taylor Broad pleads guilty to choking, assaulting former girlfriend