A Tasmanian man has been jailed for 12 months after strangling his former partner three times while their young child slept just metres away.
Zeke Francis Stafford-Goss, 26, pleaded guilty to assault over the family violence incident at the woman’s home on January 30, 2024.
The Supreme Court heard Stafford-Goss arrived uninvited after the woman had clearly told him not to come over.
He immediately began questioning her about dancing with other men at a friend’s birthday party days earlier.
When she turned her head to avoid being kissed goodnight, Stafford-Goss grabbed her by the throat with both hands and squeezed, forcing her down hard onto the bed.
He released her briefly before attacking her twice more. On each occasion, she struggled to breathe but did not lose consciousness.
Their child remained asleep on a fold-out bed in the same room. Stafford-Goss later picked up the child and carried him outside.
The woman fled and hid in nearby bushes until he left. She reported the incident to police in December of that year.
In an interview, Stafford-Goss admitted he had been “in a rage” and under the influence of drugs at the time.
Justice Tamara Jago said the woman would have found the experience “scary and upsetting” and likely suffered “some level of discomfort” from the pressure applied to her neck.
“It is well understood that applying pressure to a person’s throat is inherently dangerous,” Justice Jago said.
“It can very quickly lead to serious injury and sometimes even death.”
She said Stafford-Goss’s drug use offered “no mitigation whatsoever” and was instead a serious aggravating factor.
The court heard Stafford-Goss had four prior adult convictions for common assault, including one against the same woman in 2020.
Justice Jago said while she accepted his remorse, “family violence of this nature is simply unacceptable and cannot be tolerated”.
Stafford-Goss will be eligible for parole after serving six months. His sentence was backdated to May 29.
If you need someone to talk to, call:
Lifeline on 13 11 14
Family and domestic violence support:
1800 Respect national helpline: 1800 737 732
Women’s Crisis Line: 1800 811 811
Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
Tas Family Violence Counselling and Support Service: 1800 608 122
