A 30-YEAR-OLD man has been remanded in custody after allegedly choking his partner.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley said the woman’s neck was twisted so badly she needed the help of police to walk to an ambulance.
“She is so frightened ... she won’t even go to the hospital as she doesn’t want to speak to people about things,” Sergeant Tetley said.
The man appeared at Cleveland Magistrates Court today charged with one count of strangulation in a domestic relationship, one count of driving without a licence and two counts of stealing.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta denied the man’s bail application, telling him the aggrieved would be placed in danger if he was freed.
“We know … if a man puts his hands around a woman’s neck, or vice versa, in a choking action, they are seven times more likely to kill her the next time,” she said.
She said it was alleged the man began strangling the woman when she tried to stop him hitting his 11-year-old daughter.
“...you choked her using both hands until your daughter said ‘stop killing her, she’s turning blue’,” she said.
Ms Vasta said another man had pulled the accused off the victim before he grabbed her hair as she fled to a stranger’s home.
The man denied all domestic violence allegations.
“I did nothing wrong…,” he said.
Sergeant Tetley told the court the accused had a history of domestic violence and had served time in jail for failing to comply with a parole order.
She said the victim was not required to sign a statement as police had enough evidence to prosecute.
“She has told us outright, ‘you don’t understand, you can’t help me...eventually he’ll get out and he will kill me,” Sergeant Tetley said.
“… How he didn’t kill her last night is just by the grace of god.”
The defendant’s lawyer told the court her client worked full time.
He would contest the charges and was willing to live with his sick father at Alexandra Hills if released on bail.
“He’s instructed he’s willing to abide by the no-contact condition and will report ... to Cleveland (authorities),” she said.
No plea was entered and Ms Vasta remanded the man to appear on July 24.
He was also ordered to not contact the woman or his children and comply with other conditions.
