Four opportunities to kill: Teen’s vicious assault on girlfriend shocks judge

A Queensland judge of 20 years has been shocked by the details of a 19 year old’s incredibly vicious attack on his girlfriend of only four weeks claiming the assault could have killed her. Warning, distressing content

Domestic violence generic. Picture: Contributed

An incredibly vicious, series of domestic violence by one teen on a woman he had been in a relationship for only a few weeks has shocked a longstanding Queensland judge.

Dylan George Barber, 20, was verbally abusing the victim within a week of dating her, Rockhampton District Court heard on October 3.

Judge Ian Dearden told Barber he had been “doing this job for almost 20 years” and not many things shocked him anymore, but he had been shocked by what he read about Barber did to his victim all on one day last year in Central Queensland.

It started when the victim arrived home early from work and went to sleep.

Barber, 19 at the time, had been asleep himself and woke up and immediately accused her of “not speaking to him”, Judge Dearden said.

The victim told Barber to leave her alone.

Fuelled by methamphetamines and rage, Barber responded by grabbing her by the throat and choking her to the point she struggled to breath, the court heard.

“She tells you to leave,” Judge Dearden said.

He said the victim managed to push Barber away after five minutes and then tries to escape the room but Barber chokes her again with one hand and hit her arms with the other.

“You’re still abusing her verbally as well,” Judge Dearden said.

Barber let go of the victim, allowing her to catch her breath before he “slammed her to the floor”, causing bruises to the victim’s back.

“Then she tries to retrieve an extension cord to defend herself,” Judge Dearden said.

“You put that around her neck.

“She manages to kick you away.

“Then you put two fingers down her throat and cut off her airway.

“She struggles to breathe.

“She bites your fingers.”

Barber pulled his fingers out, punched the victim and then pressed scissor blades to her throat before pressing his foot on her throat for about 45 seconds.

“She can’t breath and feels intense pain,” Judge Dearden said.

When Barber stops this choking act, the victim escaped to a spare bedroom.

Judge Dearden said the incident continued while she tried to get ready for work with the victim being cut with scissors she had retrieved initially for self-defence.

Judge Ian Dearden. Picture: Contributed

He said the victim told Barber the relationship was over and told him to pack his things and leave the house.

Judge Dearden said she left and he reported her missing but police went looking for him instead.

“It’s just shocking to me that someone in a relationship for such a brief period of time could be so appallingly violent to another precious human being,” he said.

“We are all precious human beings.

“We all break, we all bleed, we all bruise, and any one of use can be killed or seriously injured just like that.

“When you attack another human being, they are never more than about three minutes from being killed or seriously injured.

“This is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body (throat) and when you behave as you did, choking – not just once or twice or three times, but four times, that’s four opportunities in which you could have killed this young woman.”

Judge Dearden said the fact that Barber was verbally abusing the victim within a week was indicative it was “not a relationship”.

“That’s not a loving, caring, respectful relationship,” he said.

“That’s just a recipe for disaster.”

Barber had also grabbed and bruised the victim prior to this incident, along with pulling and ripping her work shirt but was not charged over those incidents.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said Barber had a dysfunctional childhood which included living on the streets at the age of 12 until 16/17.

She said he did obtain his Year 10 certificate and had an employment history.

“The big problem for you has been the use of methamphetamines and your behaviour, which is quite frankly irrational,” Judge Dearden said.

Ms Willey said he appreciates he needs to “abstain from drug use”.

She said he planned to go live with his father in Biloela when released from prison and return to work.

Barber, a father of one, told the court he was “very sorry to the victim and the people it affected” and this was a “bad mistake at a bad time in my life”.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of choking, three of common assault and one of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Judge Dearden sentenced him to three years prison, declared 183 days of presentence custody as time served but did not declare a further 199 days presentence custody.

He ordered Barber be released immediately on parole.

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