Rockhampton home invasion victim Liam Dowie jailed for choking partner

A trained martial artist who once fought off masked home invaders has been jailed for his assaults on his partner, including choking her while she was on a video call to her brother trying to work out an exit plan.

Home invasion victim Liam Dowie.

A trained martial artist who once fought off masked home invaders who were attacking his brother has been jailed for his assaults on his partner, including choking her while she was on a video call to her brother.

Liam Michael Dowie, 24, and his partner were couch surfing at the time he assaulted her, crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence told Rockhampton District Court.

Ms Lawrence said Dowie, who was trained in martial arts, first assaulted the victim after she fell and scratched his computer monitor, pushing her, pinning her to the ground and telling her to “shut up” before striking her buttocks.

“He continued yelling at the complainant until she kicked him off her,” she said.

Ms Lawrence said as the victim ran away from Dowie, she slammed a door which caused a glass panel to smash.

The victim hid under the house, but Dowie caught up with her and after she screamed out for help, Dowie placed his hand over her mouth.

Ms Lawrence said the next time Dowie assaulted her, he shoved cigarettes into her mouth and held it closed until she kicked his leg and he let go of her.

She said while the victim video called her brother and collected her belongings to leave, Dowie “came up behind her, placed his hands around her neck and squeezed before he placed her in a chokehold.

“While in that position, he swept her legs from under her and took her to the ground,” Ms Lawrence said.

“The victim was unable to breathe and her vision was blurry.”

She said Dowie continued choking the victim for about a minute until the victim managed to punch backwards, striking Dowie in the head.

Ms Lawrence said Dowie snatched the woman’s phone from her and argued with her brother who witnessed the choking via the video call.

She said the victim grabbed Dowie’s phone when she was unsuccessful at getting hers off him, and threatened to smash it if he didn’t give hers back.

Ms Lawrence said Dowie kneed the victim’s arm, causing a large bruise, and she fell to the ground in pain.

“He then knelt beside her, placed his hand over her mouth to stop her screaming,” she said.

“She started hyperventilating and scratch repeatedly at his hands.”

Dowie picked up a glass vase threw it and shattered it before the victim got free and fled.

Judge Jeff Clarke described Dowie’s behaviour as “outrageous conduct”.

“You acted as a bully,” he said.

“You blamed her for things that were not her fault.”

Defence barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said his client, who started using marijuana when he was 18 years old, “was smoking far too much” of that illicit drug at the time of these offences.

He said Dowie had worked various jobs since finishing school in the food, labour, cleaning and supermarket sectors.

Mr Ahlstrand said his client planned to live with his grandparents when released from custody and his uncle had a job lined up for him.

Dowie, whose father died in 2017, witnessed an attack on his younger brother and rescued him after four males forced entry into their family home in North Rockhampton in December 2017.

Dowie had no criminal record when he pleaded guilty on March 22 in the district court to one count of choking – domestic violence offence, one of assault occasioning bodily harm – domestic violence offence and three common assaults.

Judge Clarke sentenced him to 2.5 years prison, declared 260 days presentence custody as time served and suspended the sentence after 260 days.

The suspended sentence has a three-year operational period.

Originally published as Rockhampton home invasion victim Liam Dowie jailed for choking partner