Shawn Conrad Morris Cowley pleads guilty to horrific assault on pregnant partner

A soon-to-be-father smashed a glass bottle of port into his 25-week pregnant partner’s face, breaking her nose before dragging her to a car and warning she was about to die. *Distressing.

Shawn Conrad Morris Cowley pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court to seven offences including assault causing bodily harm while armed, assault and common assault, deprivation of liberty, disqualified driving and two counts of threatening violence.

A terrified pregnant woman was trapped in a car, covered in her own blood as her partner threatened to crash the vehicle and kill them both.
Moments earlier he’d unleashed a terrible assault that involved smashing a glass bottle into her face and breaking her nose.

During the horror attack on November 24, 2024, 27-year-old Shawn Conrad Norris Cowley dragged his partner by her hair, forcing her back into a car after she tried to run for help.

Mackay Magistrate Court heard he told her “I’m going to kill you” in front of several witnesses at a Townsville service station, as she feared for her life.

The argument began as the couple were driving (she was 25 weeks pregnant at the time) and he picked a fight accusing her of wanting to be unfaithful with his brothers.

She was behind the wheel and pulled into a service station “fearing for her safety” when he grabbed a bottle of port wine and hit her face with it multiple times, fracturing her nose.

She got out of the car and tried to get to the service station for help, but Cowley began hitting and punching her, pushing her into a pole near the car and down to the ground, as the assault continued.

Shawn Conrad Morris Cowley bashed his pregnant partner with a bottle of port, breaking her nose. Picture: Contributed

He yelled “I’m going to kill her” before dragging her by her hair into the passenger side of their car and slamming her inside and driving her around to stop her from leaving to get help, the court heard.

It also heard Cowley drove to a walking track at Mount Louisa and on the way, he threatened to “crash the car and kill us (both)”.

When he arrived, he told her to “wash the blood off her face and clothes” and to also clean the blood from the inside of the car with a shirt.

The court heard he was able to get back in the car and drove to the police station.

Cowley pleaded guilty to seven offences including assault causing bodily harm while armed, assault and common assault, deprivation of liberty, disqualified driving and two counts of threatening violence.

Prosecutor Leonie Taufa’ao submitted Cowley should not be released on a suspended jail term because the “community has given him enough chances”.

The court heard he already had entries for wounding and assault on his criminal history.

Defence solicitor Sarah Reid said her client, who had spent 73 days in pre-sentence custody, accepted he struggled with alcohol misuse and needed assistance.

“My client understands he won’t be getting released anytime soon,” Ms Reid said, adding he had engaged in programs while in custody that focused on addiction, behaviour and positive futures.

She told the court Cowley, who grew up on Palm Island, had lost his mother 12 months earlier and had been grieving since.

His father died when he was two years old, and Ms Reid described his upbringing as difficult.

Ms Reid said her client instructed he wanted to be a positive role model for his baby, who was due in late March.

“I concede that this is horrific offending,” she said, adding it was further accepted violence was not out of character for Cowley and also showed he had alcohol abuse issues.

“He doesn’t want his son to experience this kind of behaviour growing up.”

Magistrate Anna Smith said the offending was “of significant protracted violence” against a victim who was “particularly vulnerable at the time”.

She said the woman was “trapped in a car … while pregnant” and Cowley assaulted her repeatedly with a bottle, noting his deplorable history of violence.

Cowley was jailed for two years with parole release in August 2025 after serving eight months and the 73 days in custody was declared time already served.
Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Shawn Conrad Morris Cowley pleads guilty to horrific assault on pregnant partner