Man’s bloody threats

28yo terrorised ex before attack

Despite the efforts of the police and courts to protect a woman from her violent exhusband, a Toowoomba mother was almost killed by the man outside a suburban Toowoomba home years after their separation.

In the lead up the abhorrent attack at Kearneys Spring in March 2023, the court heard Ziyad Dawood Khalaf Simoqa was on parole for other domestic violence crimes, and was in breach of a protection order.

Crown prosecutor Ellen Fletcher said the 28-year-old Iraqi man’s behaviour towards the woman, who was about 15 when the pair married in 2014, had clearly escalated and he had no regard for orders.

Simoqa fronted Toowoomba District Court on Friday, May 10, and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, strangulation, breaching a protection order made in early 2021, and entering a home with the intent to commit a crime.

Simoqa’s six-page criminal history, which included periods of jail time, was tendered to the court and almost exclusively pertained to domestic violence crimes committed against the woman.

Prosecutor Fletcher said Simoqa threatened to kill the woman on numerous occasions and also sent her a photo on Instagram which showed a woman being held by her hair while a machete was lodged halfway through her neck.

Months later, Ms Fletcher said Simoqa approached the woman while she was sitting in a car with her cousin and daughter, and told her he was going to kill her.

He later sent a message telling the woman if he ever saw the two again, he would kill them both and use their blood the wash his car.

Simoqa disrupted court proceedings to object to his past offences being heard, stating it was against his human rights and he had already been convicted of those matters.

The court heard just before 7pm on a Friday, the woman was at her cousin’s home at Kearneys Spring when Simoqa walked through the front door, locked it behind him, and made a beeline for the woman.

Ms Fletcher said a smiling Simoqa grabbed her by the hair, forced her back into a seat, and began punching her in the back and stomach.

She pleaded for her cousin to call the police but the non-English speaking man did not know how to call for help.

However, the woman managed to get her phone and call the police, but as she tried to speak Simoqa covered her mouth and began beating her with more force.

He then dragged her outside by her hair and attempted to gouge out her eyes, Ms Fletcher said.

Ms Fletcher said when police arrived the woman was still unconscious, however regained consciousness before being treated by Queensland Ambulance paramedics.

The court heard the woman had visual bruises and abrasions to her neck, throat, hand, and forearm.

Simoqa’s sentence was pushed back to June 3. He was remanded in custody.