Former Cape York Land Council Council chief executive Dion Creek, 39, sentenced to jail

A disgraced Cape York leader has been sentenced to jail for assaulting the mother of his youngest child soon after she returned home with their baby.

Chief executive officer of the Cape York Land Council Dion Creek and chair Richie Ah Mat. Picture: CYLC

A former Cape York Land Council chief executive has been sentenced to jail for assaulting the mother of his youngest child soon after she returned home with their baby.

It is the second jail term Dion Creek, 39, has received in two months for attacking former partners.

His former partner, Talei Elu, was a Queensland Young Australian of the Year in 2023.

Creek pleaded guilty in Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesday to three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and six countsof contravening a domestic violence order. He was sentenced to 15 months’ jail.

His former partner, Talei Elu, was a Queensland Young Australian of the Year in 2023.

She made a personal victim impact statement in court and has consented to the sharing of her name and experience as she advocates for changes to domestic violence checks for leaders of government organisations.

Creek pleaded guilty to three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and six counts of contravening a domestic violence order in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

Police prosecutor Rosalie Veltjens told the court Creek attacked Ms Elu on August 11, 2024 – three weeks after she returned home with their new baby – subjecting her to a protracted assault in which he repeatedly threw her around the bedroom, chased her when she fled, held her down and pushed her face into the bed, making it difficult for her to breathe.

Former chief executive of the Cape York Land Council Dion Creek has been sentenced for a second domestic violence assault.

Ms Veltjens said after Creek was arrested, he called his family members from Lotus Glen Prison, asking them to locate and call Ms Elu six times.

“(During the assault he) restricts her breathing, viciously thrusting her head back into the bed over and over,” Ms Veltjens told the court.

“Ms Elu tried to call triple-0 and Mr Creek hangs the phone up. Ms Elu manages to ring her brother who comes to the address and picks up Ms Elu and the nine-week old baby,” Ms Veltjens said.

Ms Veltjens said Creek had a history of domestic violence, and was currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for assaulting and stalking a previous partner.

“In her victim impact statement, Ms Elu addresses the physical and emotional scars that she will have to carry every day as a result of Mr Creek’s abuse … and speaks of the countless nights she relived the assault as she lay on her pillow, haunted by the potential that she could have died in her own bed.”

Dion Creek, 39, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment in Cairns Magistrates for assaulting his partner. Picture: Brendan Radke

Defence barrister Bridie Bilic said Creek would return to Coen when he was released from prison, and would be attending on-country men’s programs that he had helped establish as a leader in the community.

“He has a long history of talking the talk; it is now up to him to walk the walk … this will involve him reflecting and being honest and upfront.”

She tendered three character references to the court from community leaders, including Ricky Archer, Director of National Parks in Darwin, and Coen Regional Aboriginal Corporation General Manager, Lucretia Huen, and Douglas Huen, who worked in the Men’s Group in Coen.

Magistrate James Morton said he “disregarded and did not accept” parts of the character references, which variously described Creek as a “man who led community discussion regarding being a good parent and partner” and “a doting father to his children”.

“Obviously, they don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. You just wanted to do what you had done before – to exert your control and your force over her which is totally unacceptable.”

Mr Morton issued a warning to other women, noting that Creek had now been sentenced to jail twice in the past two months for assaulting former partners.

“When you do get released, a lot of people will be looking at you in another way – people will be crossing the road because you are domestic violence perpetrator … and any woman that takes up with you in the future ought to be very careful about how they fall into your trap because you’ve got two victims here,” he said.

He sentenced Creek to 15 months prison on the assault changes and three months on the six domestic violence order breaches.

Originally published as Former Cape York Land Council Council chief executive Dion Creek, 39, sentenced to jail