Man faces Central Qld court for threatening to kill young girl

As a man in his 20s sat in custody, a Central Queensland court heard details of his shocking threat to a little girl.

A Central Queensland court has heard about a shocking case of domestic violence involving a young girl. Generic image.

“I’m going to kill you, little girl.”

It was those words to a 12-year-old girl that landed a man in a Central Queensland court this week.

The man in his 20s, who by law cannot be named, appeared in custody in Gladstone Magistrates Court on November 29 where he pleaded guilty to contravening a domestic violence order (aggravated offence).

The court heard the man’s offending happened in the Gladstone region on November 11.

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said about 9.30pm, police received information that the child was scared to leave her room because of the man.

Ms Leach said after police arrived, the girl told them that she had been in an argument with the man.

“During the argument, the defendant said something like ‘I’m going to kill you, little girl’.”

Solicitor Cam Schroder said the man was on strong medication for his mental health and at the time of the offending, he had not been able to afford to buy it.

Gladstone Courthouse.

Mr Schroder said the man had been trying to tell the 12-year-old girl to calm down because there was another child asleep, but she backchatted him and shouted: “You are not my father.”

Mr Schroder said things escalated from there.

“He’s very sorry for his actions and has spoken to me about undertaking counselling for domestic violence,” Mr Schroder said.

The court heard the man had a two-page Queensland criminal history and at the time of this offending, he was on parole and probation for contravening domestic violence orders.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan told the man, who appeared in court via video link, that nothing seemed to deter him from continuing to offend.

Ms Buchanan sentenced him to two months’ jail, declared 18 days pre-sentence custody as time already served, and fixed parole eligibility immediately.

In relation to a suspended sentence the man was on for unrelated matters, Ms Buchanan extended it for three months.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Man faces Central Qld court for threatening to kill young girl