Wayne Clive Challen in court for assault occasioning bodily harm

A woman has detailed how unsafe she felt and reluctant to socialise after a man dragged her through his apartment following her attempt to desperately cling onto a verandah railing.

Wayne Clive Challen appeared in Maroochydore District Court on August 6. Photo: social media

A man trembled while a judge handed down a sentence after a Sunshine Coast court was told he dragged a woman by her ankles as she desperately tried to cling onto a verandah railing.

Maroochydore man Wayne Clive Challen, 41, appeared in the Maroochydore District Court on September 6, with supporters in the public gallery, and pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

He was discharged of one count of choking.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus told the court the incident occurred in Challen’s apartment in April 2023 after he and the victim had been drinking all day.

The court heard the pair had gotten into an argument by the verandah, prompting Challen to grab the woman’s drink and spill it on her chest.

Mr Andronicus said he grabbed her hand and squeezed it, then took her by the ankle as the victim clung onto the railing of the verandah.

He eventually grabbed her by both of her feet and dragged her through the apartment as he said to her “I f---ing hate you” before she latched onto the corner of the fridge to hold on, the court heard.

Challen eventually let her go and apologised later in the evening.

Mr Andronicus said the victim attended hospital where she was found to have bruising to her thigh and forearm in addition to a cut she suffered from holding onto the railing.

The crown prosecutor then read the victim’s impact statement to the court, where she described the mental toll that she suffered following the incident.

Mr Andronicus read from the statement the victim frequently feels sad, struggles to sleep or build up an appetite and finds life overwhelming.

The court heard the victim had lost her sense of safety and security as well as friendships after she became reluctant to socialise.

Defence barrister Simon Lewis told the court the man had pulled the woman by her feet to get her out the door on the day of the incident.

He said his client had since voluntarily attended a rehabilitation program.

Mr Lewis also told the court Challen has reduced to drinking eight beers a day, which he labelled a significant reduction for a person with “chronic alcoholism”.

He said his client had suffered after the breakdown of his only long-term relationship, in which he had lost contact with his only child.

Challen was shaking as he stood in the dock while Judge Nicole Kefford reiterated his offending to the court.

She told him he had acted “incredibly stupidly” on the night of the incident.

Judge Kefford sentenced him to three months’ imprisonment wholly suspended for six months.

Originally published as Wayne Clive Challen in court for assault occasioning bodily harm