Man terrifies pregnant girlfriend

A FAR Northern man terrorised his girlfriend before cutting his own throat with a broken beer bottle.

The Cairns Magistrates Court was told that the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been in a relationship with the 19-year-old victim for seven years.

She was three months pregnant when the incident happened on January 21 at Yungaburra.

The pair had been at a barbecue at Lake Eacham where he had been drinking.

While she was driving them home, he was swearing aggressively at her so much that she parked the car and tried to get away from him.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Trevor Woodman said the man followed her and dragged her back to the car and attempted to force her back inside.

“She’s managed to brace herself ... with her hands on the roof,” Snr-Constable Woodman said.

He got in the front and began to drive dangerously speeding through a stop sign.

Snr-Constable Woodman told the court a witness said the car appeared to reach speeds of 120km/h. The woman was scared for her life and that of her unborn child.

“He’s yanked on the handbrake and this has caused the vehicle to immediately skid across the road ... and almost hit a power pole,” he said.

When the vehicle stopped, the woman got away.

Police were called and, on seeing officers, the man smashed a beer bottle and used it to slash his own throat.

The court was told that the man suffered from depression and had been severely depressed that day. He had been taking medication but didn’t believe it had been working.

The court was told that he had been on parole at the time of the offending.

“The victim of your offending was significantly traumatised at the time,” Magistrate Kerry Magee said.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, deprivation of liberty, common assault and disqualified driving.

The man, who is in custody with a release date of October 24, was placed on two years’ probation and disqualified from driving for two years.

THE VICTIM ... WAS SIGNIFICANTLY TRAUMATISED AT THE TIME