Joseph Allen Cochrane jailed for four years for choking, suffocating and assaulting de facto wife

Toowoomba District Court was told the man choked, suffocated and assaulted his de facto wife in separate domestic violence incidents.

A 50-year-old man who pleaded guilty to strangling, suffocating and assaulting his de facto partner of more than 20 years during domestic incidents has been jailed for four years.

Judge Leanne Clare SC told Joseph Allen Cochrane that choking and smothering were “red flags” and that statistically such offending often led to domestic homicide.

Crown prosecutor Emily Coley told Toowoomba District Court on Tuesday that Cochrane had domestic violence incidents against the same woman dating back to 2007 but these incidents on January 14, 2022, at their St George home were “an escalation” of that offending.

The pair had been drinking together earlier that day but the woman had gone to bed only to be woken later by Cochrane calling her derogatory names before climbing on top of her in bed, Ms Coley said.

He had then put his hands around her neck and choked her before grabbing bed clothing and putting it over her face to the point she had difficulty breathing, she said.

The woman had a heart condition and feared she was going to die, Ms Coley said.

After breaking free, the woman called police, the court was told.

On April 6, 2022, the woman had woken in bed to Cochrane pouring water on her while calling her derogatory terms.

He had then climbed on top of her and punched her five or six times to the face, leaving her with a black eye and facial swelling, Ms Coley said.

Cochrane was found by police on April 11 and had spent the ensuing 358 days in custody before pleading guilty to charges of strangulation and suffocation in a domestic setting and assault occasioning bodily harm in a domestic setting.

His barrister Nathan Edridge said his client accepted the relationship was now at an end and he didn’t want anything further to do with the complainant.

His client “clearly has a drinking problem”, he submitted.

Cochrane had spent almost a year in custody which had been difficult as he had a number of health problems including emphysema and he had until recently been forced to sleep on a mattress on the cell floor, Mr Edridge said.

Judge Leanne Clare SC said the man had “bullied and beat” his wife.

Judge Clare told Cochrane that by her victim impact statement the woman was still haunted by fear of him and she was struggling to rebuild her life.

“You bullied and beat her,” she said.

Judge Clare sentenced the man to four years in jail, however, declaring the 358 days pre-sentence custody as time already served, ordered he be eligible to apply for parole as of August 11, 2023.