Chancellor Shoko, 48, denied bail in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on choking charge

A man has been accused of choking and suffocating his wife after she alleged he had wasted their money on phone sex.

Picture: iStock

A man has been accused of choking his wife after she alleged he had cheated on her with a phone sex operator.

Electrical fitter Chancellor Shoko, 48, appeared via videolink before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, August 12, charged with choking, suffocation and strangulation and common assault. Both charges were associated domestic violence charges.

Police prosecution alleges Mr Shoko choked his wife after she had accused him of participating in phone sex and, in turn, wasting money needed to support their family.

Police allege Mr Shoko then put his hand to her throat with force, before aggressively pushing her in the chest which police claim left small red marks.

“He has continued to manipulate the situation … for him to be seen as the victim,” the prosecutor alleged in court.

“The information outlined by the aggrieved is corroborated by police observations at the scene.”

Prosecution also claimed Mr Shoko was financially controlling and alleged his four children were not sufficiently fed and clothed.

The court was told Mr Shoko and his family had only arrived in Toowoomba a few weeks prior to the alleged incident and had previously spent time in New Zealand.

He had been residing in Australia under a work visa from Zimbabwe from June of this year.

Through his duty lawyer, Jag MacDonald, Mr Shoko applied for bail, claiming he never laid a hand on his wife and accusing her of fabricating the entire incident.

“Essentially there was an oral argument where the aggrieved said he was on the phone with another woman and then yelled and made threats to send him to jail,” Mr MacDonald said.

“The next thing he knows the police turn up and arrest him.”

Mr MacDonald argued that due to the nature of the case, Mr Shoko could serve more than a year in pre-sentence custody.

“If he remains in custody before the trial is heard he will easily spend 18 month, on the bottom, in custody,” he said.

“It’s unenviable for people facing district court to spend such a long period of time in custody.”

Acting magistrate Patricia Kirkman-Scroope denied the bail application, ruling cause was insufficiently shown.

“These are serious charges,” she said.

“The particularity and the objection of the bail affidavit in my view is extensive.”

Mr Shoko is due back in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on October 9 for mention.