Christopher Carl Graham sentenced for assaulting mother

A father of eight had told the mother of his children she was going to die before he used a tennis racket to bash her for calling the police.

A father of eight punched the mother of his children in the face before grabbing a tennis racket to bash her for calling the police.

Christopher Carl Graham was sentenced to 15 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to six charges including assault occasioning bodily harm – a domestic violence offence on November 3, 2021.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard Graham attacked the mother of his children after she had called the police.

“(Graham) … punched her on the forehead causing swelling and a small cut,” police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said.

The woman yelled to the neighbours to call the police while Graham grabbed a hard plastic racket used to play totem tennis.

“(He) threw it at her with force and the racket hit her in the torso causing a large welt, redness and bruising,” Sergeant Johnstone said.

She said Graham had also left an abusive message on the woman’s phone in March 2021.

“Little white mother f---er you’re going to die,” Graham said in the message.

Sergeant Johnstone said Graham had four pages of criminal history including another assault occasioning bodily harm from 2011.

Christopher Carl Graham was sentenced to 15 months prison after he pleaded guilty to six charges including assault occasioning bodily harm a domestic violence offence on November 3, 2021. Picture: Social media

She suggested a 15-month prison sentence with a parole release date after serving one third for the serious acts of violence.

The court heard Graham also pleaded guilty to four counts of contravening a domestic violence order.

Solicitor Chantelle Allen said the 44-year-old was homeless at the time of the offending and suffered from depression and anxiety.

“He has had time to reflect on his offending behaviour while in custody and he does apologise unreservedly to the court, community and the … (victim) for his behaviour,” she said.

“He accepts it’s entirely unacceptable and he needs to make changes to stop the cycle of domestic violence.”

Ms Allen said Graham and the victim and he had been in a “volatile” off-again on-again relationship since 2010 and shared three children.

She said Graham’s physical and mental health had declined while in custody

“He has not been able to attain treatment for his arthritis and back pain, and is experiencing pain daily,” she said.

Ms Allen said upon release Graham will move to Toowoomba to be closer with friends and family and will engage with a doctor to improve his mental and physical health.

Ms Allen suggested a 12 to 15-month prison sentence was an appropriate punishment.

Magistrate Maxine Baldwin explained the detrimental impacts domestic violence would have on Graham’s children and said he needed to focus on rehabilitation.

“The worst thing is you started to get implements, being the totem tennis racket,” she said.

“It has caused terrible damage to her in terms of bruising and it could have been a lot worse.”

Ms Baldwin said she believed an 18-month prison sentence was in range for Graham’s offending, but reduced the sentence given his early plea of guilty.

Graham was also given a 12-month probation order to complete domestic violence preventative courses and will be on a suspended 6-month suspended sentence.

Graham’s 75 days of presentence custody were declared as time already served.

Originally published as Christopher Carl Graham sentenced for assaulting mother