Drunk father chokes 14-year-old daughter at Bathurst home

The man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - was before Bathurst Local Court on April 26 where he pleaded guilty to choking a person without consent and common assault, both of a domestic nature.

Court documents state the man in his 50s, the victim and her siblings were at a home in Bathurst around 10.50pm on February 10, 2023 where the man drank half a bottle of whisky, equal to about 10 standard drinks.

The victim was laying on her bed when the man entered her bedroom and sat next to her, before a heated argument began.

The court heard the man called for the victim's 10-year-old sibling to come to the room to watch what was about to happen, but the victim said for the child to instead go and call their mother.

The man then lent over the victim and choked her while he said "I am going to go get a knife, I'll show you what choking is".

After the victim kicked her father off her, the man stood and kneed her in the head before she stood up and pushed him.

The man then pushed the victim to the ground and yelled at her, around the same time neighbours heard the fight and called triple-zero.

Police said they went to the home about 11.10pm on February 10 and were let inside by one of the children, before they went upstairs and saw the man in the doorway of the victim's bedroom.

After speaking with the victim, who officers noticed had red marks around her neck and on her knees, police had a conversation with the man.

"... I (expletive) pinned her ... I am owning that, the strangulation and hitting," the man told police.

The man then said he had his hands around his daughter's neck but he didn't knee her in the head.

After a short outburst at police, the "drunk and aggressive" man - as described in court documents - was handcuffed and taken to Bathurst Police Station where he declined to be formally interviewed about the domestic violence-related assault.

During the man's sentencing where he represented himself, he told the court he "made a bad choice of behaviour".

Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis said she considered sending the man to jail, but instead sentenced him to a 15-month intensive correction order with the condition he abstain from drugs and alcohol for the entire period.

He must also do 200 hours of unpaid community service work as part of the order.

"If you think you can only go for six to seven days without alcohol, you run the risk of going to jail. Is it really worth it?" Ms Ellis asked.

"No, Your Honour," the man replied.

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