Western Downs’ most shocking attacks on women revealed this Domestic Violence Prevention month

With May marking Domestic Violence Prevention month, we reveal some of the most shocking and terrifying offenders who have faced our region’s courts for attacking a woman in a domestic setting. Warning: Distressing content.

In Australia one in six women have experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner they lived with in the past year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

These heart-wrenching statistics shows the rate of violence against women has not slowed down from previous years, with data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare stating between 2020 to 2021, three in 10 assaults that led to hospitalisations were due to domestic violence with 74 per cent of patients being female and 26 per cent being male.

As this month is Domestic Violence Prevention month we have gathered some of the most shocking offenders who have been sentenced in a Western Downs court from 2022 to 2023 for launching terrifying attacks on current or former partners and family members, to raise awareness of the life destroying acts that are committed daily.

From a man who broke into a home to strangle and attempt to abduct the mother of his children, to an ex-boyfriend who held a woman captive overnight, these are just some of the domestic violence offenders that have been sentenced in the region.

Brock Leslie Marshall: Dalby man chokes, bashes and attempts to abduct ex-partner

A Dalby man broke into his ex-girlfriend’s mother’s house in a chilling crime that later involved him choking, beating and attempting to abduct her.

Brock Leslie Marshall’s ex-girlfriend woke up to him strangling her and shoving his fingers down her throat, preventing her from breathing on August 31, 2021 in Dalby, the city’s District Court was told.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren described the man’s actions as “very serious, violent and troubling” as the man stood looking nervous with his mother and stepdad seated behind him.

Brock Leslie Marshall was sentenced in Dalby District Court for choking and strangling his ex-girlfriend, 2022. Picture: Facebook

“You broke into her mother’s house while the kids were there and you were wearing gloves to avoid fingerprints and socks to avoid being heard,” Judge Horneman-Wren said.

“All occupants of the house were asleep, you located your ex-partner and commenced strangling her.”

Marshall, who had already spent 447 days in prison pleaded guilty to deprivation of liberty, two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, strangulation, choking, burglary at night while armed, common assault, stealing and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

He was sentenced to five and a half years’ jail, with a parole eligibility date of June 30, 2023.

Full story.

Rowen Craig Howlett: Serial DV offender walks free from Dalby court following violent assault

A repeat domestic violence offender who was previously convicted for kicking his pregnant ex-girlfriend in the stomach again faced Dalby court, this time for assaulting another former partner during a heated argument.

The dispute broke out between Rowen Craig Howlett and his ex-girlfriend while they were washing a car at the victim’s Chinchilla home on July 16, with the 35-year-old spraying the woman with water from the hose when she tried to walk away from the fight.

Rowen Craig Howlett – Facebook

Police prosecutor Derek Brady told the Dalby Magistrates Court that Howlett then shoved the woman against the car, and the ongoing argument prompted nearby residents to call the police.

“They could hear a male and a female arguing and said there was property being damaged including a vehicle and that he put a hose on the female to wet her as she was trying to get away,” Sergeant Brady said.

“He hosed her down and put (the hose) in her mouth while pushing her against the vehicle.”

Howlett pleaded guilty to one count of common assault.

He was sentenced to six months’ jail with immediate release on parole.

Full story.

Luke Anthony Plant: Man held woman ‘against her will’

A man who kept a woman prisoner in his home in an attempt to get her to lie to save him from going to jail has walked free from court.

Dalby Magistrates Court was told Luke Anthony Plant was scared of going to jail when he tried to force the woman to write a letter that would absolve him of responsibility over an earlier incident between the two.

Luke Anthony Plant. Picture: Facebook

Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said the 32-year-old man stood in front of the door to block her when she attempted to leave the house.

“She attempted to run but she only made it as far as the concrete patio in the backyard,” Sergeant Hutchins said.

“He grabbed her and took her back inside and took her phone, keys and wallet and locked the doors.”

Plant pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of liberty and was sentenced to six months’ jail with immediate parole.

Full story.

David Donald Lloyd Laurie: Launches car at sister, hurls hammer at windscreen

The heart-stopping moment a serial offender launched his car at his sister and hurled a hammer through her windscreen was caught on CCTV, with the man warned he was lucky things didn’t end in disaster.

David Donald Lloyd Laurie went to his sister’s house on January 5 in 2022 and got into a physical fight with her boyfriend.

Police prosecutor Derek Brady told Dalby Magistrates Court the 23-year-old went to his car and got a hammer he then used to chase his sister’s boyfriend around.

David Donald Lloyd Laurie Picture: Facebook

Sergeant Brady said Laurie then got into his car and accelerated across a neighbour’s lawn toward his sister, hurling the hammer through his sister’s windscreen.

Laurie pleaded guilty to 33 charges, including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, wilful damage, fraud, stealing, trespass, forgery and uttering, unlawful possession of a motor vehicle, drug driving, possessing stolen property and possessing drugs and utensils.

He was sentenced to 12 months’ jail but released on immediate parole. He is also disqualified from driving for six months.

Full story.

Originally published as Western Downs’ most shocking attacks on women revealed this Domestic Violence Prevention month