Bradley Raymond Charrington jailed for shocking string of violent attacks on mother of his children

NAMED: A Kingaroy man will spend only months behind bars after a brutal series of attacks on the mother of his child, which left the woman seriously injured and fearing for her life.

A man will spend only months behind bars after threatening to kill and repeatedly choking the mother of his children, who told police she “didn’t know if she was going to live” through the attacks.

The assaults began in April last year when Bradley Raymond Charrington, 47, accused his girlfriend of cheating on him and grabbed her in a chokehold, wrapping his arm around her neck from behind.

Crown prosecutor Rebecca Marks told Maroochydore District Court that the woman struggled to breathe and kicked her legs to try and break free from the man.

“He dragged her around the corner of the kitchen and picked her up by her neck, such that her feet lifted off the ground,” she said.

The court heard it was only weeks later that Charrington again choked his then-partner, this time threatening to kill her and make it look like suicide by putting a rope around her neck.

Ms Marks said the man’s grip caused the woman to pass out from the lack of oxygen and wet herself.

“When she regained consciousness he still had her in a chokehold. He threatened that he could continue to make her pass out and come back as many times as he liked until she died,” Ms Marks said.

She said that in a separate incident, Charrington pushed the victim up against a wall and cut her forearm with a nearby pair of scissors, then held the blades to her throat and demanded she “admit she’s a slut”.

He then squeezed her neck with his left hand and covered her mouth and nose when she tried to scream.

“He then bit her on her chest and twice on her right arm, holding her skin between his teeth and pulling back,” Ms Marks said.

“She begged him to stop but he said he would bite (part of her arm) off.”

The court was told Charrington eventually let go of his victim and then chased her around the house while armed with a knife, cornering her and threatening to stab her as he held the weapon to her stomach.

He then stuck the knife between her body and right arm.

The Kingaroy father blamed the victim when he was interviewed by police, claiming she had mental health problems and her injuries were the result of consensual sex.

Ms Marks said the woman still suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression, and disturbed sleep as a result of the attacks.

“She feels a lot of emotional stress and becomes panicked if she has anything around or touching her neck. She has to create space around her neck to feel that she can breathe,” she said.

“She found him putting the knife to her stomach was one of the most frightening things she had to endure and didn’t know if she was going to live anymore.”

Defence barrister Catherine Cuthbert said a psychiatrist’s report indicated Charrington was suffering from substance abuse disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and depression.

She said there was a “serious impairment of functioning” over the past year and that her client had the potential to stop such violent behaviour when properly medicated.

Charrington pleaded guilty to three counts each of choking and assault and one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm and wounding.

He was sentenced to three and a half years’ jail with eligibility for parole from July 14.

Originally published as Bradley Raymond Charrington jailed for shocking string of violent attacks on mother of his children