Trent Bevin, Christopher Johnson among Gympie’s violent DV crims
A man who attacked his partner with a machete, and another who strangled his girlfriend with an electrical cord, are among the shocking domestic violence cases dealt with in Gympie as the region grapples with a 20-year high in abuse.
Police & Courts
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Domestic violence is a scourge on society that needs to be stamped out, but continual shocking cases in Gympie courts and latest figures show the battle has a long way to go.
Online police data shows the number of domestic violence order breaches in the Gympie police division, which stretches from Widgee to the edge of Kin Kin, down to Traveston and up to the northern side of Curra, has steadily increased in the past five years.
In 2023, there was a 20-year high in the number of breaches in the region, at 430.
This was more than double the 211 reported in 2019.
It comes at a time when communities in other parts of the Wide Bay grapple with a surge in domestic violence crimes with police saying they are attending DV offences more often than any other crime and it is not sustainable.
In comparison, there was an average of 62.4 offences recorded each year from 2001-2010.
The 2022-23 Queensland Magistrates Court annual report shows there were 743 total protection orders made in the Gympie Magistrates Court that financial year.
This accounted for 1.22 per cent of the total orders made in the state, the 22nd highest rate of Queensland’s 131 magistrates courts, and the highest number of orders made in the Gympie courts in at least five years.
These are the more serious domestic violence offenders to be sentenced in Gympie since the start of 2023.
Trent John Bevin
A former meatworker and father of seven was jailed for repeatedly abusing his partner in a shocking series of crimes including stabbing her with a fork, cutting her with a machete, and strangling her, all while trying to lay the blame on her.
Trent John Bevin, 47, carried out his abuse while in a relationship with a woman at Kandanga over more than a year, from December 2021 to January 2023.
The first incident happened when Bevin stabbed her in her right wrist with a fork, drawing blood, while they were eating in bed, the court was told.
The second attack happened in late 2022, once again when Bevin and his victim were together in bed.
On that occasion he grabbed a machete from next to the bed and slashed it across her wrist, cutting it open.
Bevin then refused to take her to a doctor and instead tried to close the wound with superglue.
Bevin, who had spent 424 days in pre-sentence custody, ultimately pleaded guilty in March 2024 to three counts of unlawful assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, one count of unlawful assault, and one count of strangulation.
All were domestic violence offences.
Judge Gary Long sentenced him to four years’ jail.
He will be eligible for parole on July 14, 2024.
More details here.
Christopher Andrew-Lloyd Johnson
A man who attacked his partner with an electrical cord, a hammer, a tyre iron, a needle, and his fists in a pattern of violent abuse was sentenced to jail in 2023.
Christopher Andrew-Lloyd Johnson, 35, faced Gympie District in October over his shocking abuse of the woman over two-months from December 2022.
The Cherbourg resident’s most serious offending occurred on December 3 when he locked the woman in her own home and attacked her with the cord.
The court heard she had returned to the family home to collect medical equipment for her sick daughter.
When she realised Johnson was there she tried to leave, but he locked her inside.
He then attacked her with the cord, wrapping it around her neck and pulling her backwards onto the ground before strangling her with it.
The court heard he kept the cord wrapped around her neck for about a minute, leaving her struggling for breath until she was able to get a hand between it and her neck.
Johnson pleaded guilty to deprivation of liberty, choking, wilful damage, three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm (one while armed), and two counts of common assault, all domestic violence offences.
He was sentenced to four years jail and became eligible for parole on March 17, 2024, owing to 275 days already served in pre-sentence custody.
More details here.
Andrew James Cougan
A 37-year-old man was jailed after punching a woman in the head so hard she suffered a “traumatic” brain injury, and then trying to get her to recant her story.
Gympie District Court heard Andrew James Cougan had been with the woman, who he had been seeing, on the night of March 5, 2022 when he attacked her after she’d driven to Gympie to meet up with him.
After taking a taxi to the Mount Pleasant Hotel, Cougan became agitated and asked the woman for $50 to buy ice.
When she refused, the court was told he stood up and “slammed her head into a table”.
They left the hotel, upon which further conflict between them ensued to the point they eventually went their separate ways after a good Samaritan intervened.
But as she walked back to the hotel where she was staying, she ran into Cougan once more, the court was told.
It was during this encounter he struck her in the head, knocking her out.
A CT scan later found her injuries included a brain bleed 3mm deep, bruising to the brain, and a “significant” shift in the midline of her brain to the right.
Burr holes had to be drilled into her skull to drain fluid and relieve pressure of the injury, which Judge Bernard Porter said “could have caused death” if left unchecked.
He pleaded guilty in August 2023 to grievous bodily harm, wilful damage, and attempting to pervert the course of justice, all domestic violence offences, and a charge related to bringing the victim into an approved telephone call.
Cougan was sentenced to six years jail for the grievous bodily harm charge, with another year added for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He became eligible for parole on March 16, 2024, owing to 504 days already served in pre-sentence custody.
He declared Cougan had already served 504 days of pre-sentence custody, and gave him a parole eligibility date of March 16, 2024.
More details here.
Kane Anthony Maguire
A 30-year-old Imbil fencer was locked behind bars for three months after punching his partner in the head several times during a drinking binge.
Kane Anthony Maguire, appearing by camera from Maryborough Correctional Facility, sat quietly as his matter was dealt with at Gympie Magistrates Court during the April 2023 sentencing.
The court heard Maguire had been drinking at the woman’s Imbil home on March 16, 2023 when an argument erupted between them.
After she left the home and walked to a nearby park, Maguire called her and offered assurances she could safely return.
When she did Maguire grabbed her, held her on the bed, and punched her four or five times in the head with rings he was wearing cutting her and spattering blood across the bed and hall, the court heard.
Maguire returned a BAC of .114 following his arrest.
Maguire, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning bodily harm – domestic violence offence, was sentenced to 15 months’ jail.
Owing to 43 days already served he was released on parole on June 15, 2023.
More details here.
Jason Dylan Chilly
A young Gympie man who punched his heavily pregnant girlfriend in the stomach and face before cutting her leg was jailed for several months for his crimes.
Gympie District Court heard Jason Dylan Chilly, 21, assaulted his partner during an argument at their home on September 30, 2022.
She was 21 weeks pregnant at the time.
He later drove her to the hospital but then punched her again, this time in the face, after accusing her of contacting police.
The court was told he then cut her thigh with an unknown object while she sat crying with her eyes closed.
She was left with a wound about 8cm long and 2mm deep.
The 21-year-old pleaded guilty in May 2023 to two counts of common assault and one of wounding, all domestic violence offences.
Judge Katherine McGinnis told Chilly his actions “must have been terribly distressing (for his partner) … and you risked causing her serious harm, or harm to her unborn child”.
She sentenced Chilly to two-and-half-years’ jail, and while he had been in jail for 209 days she only declared 158 of them as time served.
He was eligible for parole on July 4, 2023.
More details here.
James Scott Hayes
A man who tried to hang his pregnant partner was released immediately on parole from Gympie District Court in May 2023 after pleading guilty to strangulation, wilful damage and supplying drugs.
James Scott Hayes had been held in pre-sentence custody for 18 months after he was arrested for strangling his partner with a rope in October 2021.
The 29-year-old appeared calm as he was escorted into the courtroom by police.
His extensive criminal history, including burglary, drugs, assault and dangerous driving was discussed in court.
It heard he had started taking drugs when he was 11 after his father died, leaving his mother with seven children and had been in and out of custody as an adult.
Hayes was sentenced to 12 months jail for the charges of drug supply, with a parole date of May 3, 2023.
For the strangulation, he was given 187 days, which he had served in pre-sentence custody, with 365 days taken into account, but not declared, and a parole date of May 3, 2023.
More details here.
Boaz Herbert John Weis
A Goomeri painter sent more than 100 text messages in five days to a woman he had violently choked months prior.
Boaz Herbert John Weis, 36, pleaded guilty in Gympie District Court in February 2023 to one count of choking, two counts of breaching bail and three counts of contravention of domestic violence (aggravated offence).
Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told the court Weis and his now ex-partner were having an argument on April 27, 2022.
The woman left their house to go to the pub due to the argument but returned later that night to find Weis drunk and the two resumed their argument.
Weis tried to pour drinks over the woman’s head and smashed the bottles lying on the floor beside them, the court heard.
“Get the f--- out of my house,” Weis shouted at the woman.
He threw her on the floor, climbed on top of her and squeezed her neck with both hands for 30 seconds, the court heard.
When he let go, she ran to call police and waited at a nearby school for the police to arrive. She was found with red marks on her neck.
On his phone, police found he breached his bail condition again by sending more than 100 text messages to the woman between October 5 and October 9, 2022.
He was given two and a half years jail and released on parole on May 8, 2023, with 200 days spent in pre-sentence custody declared as time served.
More details here.
Leonard Daniel Weller
An 83-year-old grandfather of six was handed a jail term for the vicious bashing of his own daughter over a felled tree at a Gympie property.
Leonard Daniel Weller, of the Southside, faced Gympie Magistrates Court in custody in January 2024 as he pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, a domestic violence offence.
Police prosecutor Mel Campbell told the court Weller had started “punching and kicking” his 59-year-old daughter in the face while she was on the ground and “unable to defend herself”.
“(The victim) did nothing to justify such a horrific assault,” Sgt Campbell said.
He was sentenced the 83-year-old to 12 months’ jail, with his release ordered on the same day due to 74 days already served in custody on remand.
His outstanding jail term was suspended for 18 months.
More details here.
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