Lawton began questioning her about a man she had been interacting with at a bar, to which she responded if he had an issue, it was his problem.
He “flew into a rage”, grabbed her by the shoulders and neck and began throwing her around their living room. He banged her head against a door, and holding her neck, applied enough pressure with one hand to restrict her breathing.
When she went to bed in the hope of de-escalating the situation, he followed her, pulled the bedding off and again held her neck to restrict her breathing.
After fighting to get away from him and screaming for help, she managed to grab a hoodie and run out of the apartment.
When he followed her outside, she returned to the apartment, locked the front door and began looking for her phone.
However, when he managed to climb back in through an unsecured window, she ran out again, “fearing she was going to be killed”, and called the police.
Counsel Ella Collis said Lawton had “lost control” of himself and was feeling jealous.
He put his “inexcusable” behaviour down to his intoxication and poor anger control.
He had apologised to the victim in writing, and was undergoing counselling and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Judge Russell Walker said the victim was dealing with the “huge emotional toll” of the attack.
She had become isolated from her family and friends as a result of feeling embarrassed about the assault, and found it difficult to be around other people, affecting her ability to work.
He convicted Lawton on charges of assault in a family relationship and strangulation, and from a starting point of two years and four months’ prison, made deductions for the defendant’s expression of remorse, lack of previous convictions and steps he had taken towards addressing his anger and alcohol issues.
He reached an end sentence of six months’ community detention and 15 months’ intensive supervision, and ordered Lawton to pay the victim $1000 reparation for emotional harm.
