Kayleb Minirapa Milne pleads guilty in the Brisbane District Court to ‘protracted domestic violence’

The family of a domestic violence victim whose partner admitted to strangling her unconscious and punching her in the head gasped in court as the ex-NRL contracted player avoided jail.

Ex-NRL player Kayleb Minirapa Milne leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane after he avoided jail time for domestic violence charges. Picture: Tertius Pickard

An ex-NRL player has walked free from court despite admitting to repeatedly strangling his partner unconscious, punching her in the head, and putting her head through a wall.

In an extraordinary statement, the victim - who was not in the courtroom - said she had “made peace” with what happened and forgave her partner, before asking that he be spared from a jail cell and instead allowed to continue to get treatment and counselling.

The victim’s family - who were in the courtroom - were not as forgiving. They gasped and shook their heads when they heard he would avoid jail.

Kayleb Minirapa Milne, 25, pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court on Tuesday to three counts of strangulation, four counts of assault, and one count of wilful damage. All were domestic violence offences.

The offending spanned nine months last year. Crown prosecutor Zachary Kaplan described the incidents in detail, summarising it as “repetitive and protracted domestic violence”.

Ex-NRL player Kayleb Minirapa Milne leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane after he avoided jail time for domestic violence charges. Picture: Tertius Pickard

“It can be described as a systematic deprivation of her rights, and targeted abuse that stripped her away of her individuality and self-belief,” Mr Kaplan said.

“On three occasions he strangled her to the point where she lost consciousness, and he punched her so severely that he perforated an eardrum of hers.

“While driving he pushed her head into a window and then onto a gear stick causing bruising to her eye.

“On the last occasion he assaulted her so severely and would not let her leave the car that she jumped from a moving car and into a stranger’s vehicle in order to flee from him.”

Milne is six-foot-three-inches and weighs over 100 kilograms, while the victim was described as “clearly a much smaller lady”.

The giant prop - born in Auckland - was previously signed with NRL clubs the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks, and was set to play in the Queensland Cup and NSW Cup.

Mr Kaplan asked for a prison sentence of at least four years.

Although the victim was not in court, she listened to the sentencing via teleconference. Her victim impact statement was also read aloud.

Kayleb Milne playing in Townsville’s local rugby league. Picture: Evan Morgan

She spoke of becoming disconnected from friends and family as a result of the abuse, and when they tried to contact her through FaceTime she declined their calls because she didn’t want them to see her visible injuries on her face and body.

“I tried my best to eliminate any actions which might lead to violence, I restricted my use of social media to avoid accusations that I was speaking to, or looking at, other men,” her statement read.

She detailed how she stopped going out on social occasions because she “deemed it wasn’t worth the risk”. She also experienced weight loss, trouble sleeping, and nightmares.

“Today I still have not fully processed what happened to me. I have made peace with what happened and I forgive you,” her statement said.

“However, despite how hard I try to forget what happened, I simply can’t. I constantly feel confused and conflicted because I care deeply about the defendant.

“My sincere hope is that the defendant receives genuine support, to protect himself and others from this behaviour.

“I believe in the possibility of change and do not wish to see the defendant be incarcerated … I wish for him to receive formal appropriate psychological treatment.”

Defence barrister Martin Longhurst said Milne was exposed to domestic violence and family trauma himself.

He also detailed Milne’s testing at a specialist Griffith University clinic for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a traumatic brain injury caused by repeated concussions.

It is increasingly prevalent in rugby league players. Mr Longhurst said due to his weight class, Milne played in men’s competitions at 14, and representative rugby at age 16. He would get knocked out cold as a teenager and not remember the rest of that day.

Kayleb Minirapa Milne leaves the Supreme Court in Brisbane after he avoided jail time for domestic violence charges. Picture: NewsWire/Tertius Pickard

Ultimately Milne’s tests and MRI scans showed no clear head trauma markers, and Judge Michael Byrne said the chance of these head injuries being a factor behind the offending was “too remote” for him to take into consideration.

However, Mr Longhurst did put forward Milne’s efforts to address his personal issues.

“Mr Milne acknowledged he experienced trauma symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, anger, low self-esteem throughout his upbringing and adolescence,” Mr Longhurst told the court, quoting a psychologist’s report.

“He recognised that he was conditioned to violence and the attachment of relationships were conditional on the partner’s actions.”

Mr Longhurst asked for a suspended jail sentence, with a period of probation.

In sentencing, Judge Michael Byrne said the word “horrible” was an understatement to describe Milne’s conduct, concluding that “it seems to have been born of jealousy”.

“She suffered significant bruising and swelling to both eyes, ongoing concussion and memory loss, and both eardrums perforated,” he said.

“It is the persistence of your offending that is the particularly disturbing feature here.”

However, Judge Byrne acknowledged Milne’s “exceptionally early guilty plea” and his steps to undertake treatment and counselling for his perceived head injuries and childhood trauma.

He also noted Milne had served five months in pre-sentence custody.

Ultimately, Judge Byrne sentenced Milne to four years’ jail, but ordered it be immediately suspended for a period of four years, due to time already served.

He also put Milne on a three-year probation order, recorded convictions on all counts, an.

Due to his convictions on Tuesday, the court heard Milne is “immediately eligible for deportation” back to New Zealand, but he has expressed his desire to stay in Australia and he has the means to appeal against deportation through the relevant tribunals.

Originally published as Kayleb Minirapa Milne pleads guilty in the Brisbane District Court to ‘protracted domestic violence’