Justin Adam pleads guilty to intentionally causing injury to partner

A Leopold man has pleaded guilty to putting his abounds a woman, with “considerable force”.

Justin Adam, 48, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates' Court to reckless cause injury.

A Leopold man pushed his partner before grabbing her by the throat with “considerable force” during an argument about their relationship.

Justin Adam, 48, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday to intentionally causing injury and avoided a jail sentence.

The court heard Adam was home on December 27 last year when the pair got into an argument about their deteriorating relationship.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable David Vanderpol said Adam was alcohol affected when he pushed the victim into the couch before grabbing her by the throat just before midnight.

The court heard Adam had to be restrained by another person who was also in the home.

Constable Vanderpol said the victim suffered bruising and scratching to the throat, as well as marks on her back.

Adam, a deckhand, represented himself in court and said he was in the process of seeking help for his behaviour.

Magistrate Bernard Fitzgerald said he was concerned by Adam’s behaviour and after viewing photographs of the victim said he believed Adam had used “considerable force” to grab the victim by the neck.

“This is a very serious assault, anybody remotely connected with family violence knows that offences like this that involve choking or trying to choke or grabbing by the neck are particularly at a high level of seriousness,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

Mr Fitzgerald opted not to jail Adam and instead convicted and sentence him to a 12-month community correction order.

Adam was also ordered to complete a men’s behaviour change program.

Originally published as Justin Adam pleads guilty to intentionally causing injury to partner