Woman squeezes partner’s neck in front of police on Kalgoorlie’s main street

A woman has scratched her partner’s neck in front of police on Kalgoorlie’s main street while they were both being questioned. Larissa Nadine Grant appeared in Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday, and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and breaching bail conditions. Police prosecutor Sen. Const. Matthew Fullgrabe said police saw the 35-year-old grab her partner of 15 years by his neck from behind. Using both hands, she squeezed the man’s neck for about three seconds, causing “immediate pain” and leaving scratch marks. Sen. Const. Fullgrabe said the incident took place on November 24 on Hannan Street, while police were speaking to Grant and her partner separately following reports of a family violence incident. Less than a week later, Grant was seen with the man while she was under bail conditions banning contact with him. Defence lawyer David Pawson told the court his client had acted with “built-up frustration”, having repeatedly been the victim of violence in their relationship. Mr Pawson said Grant had been to hospital for her injuries and still had a bandage on from the violence that contributed to her “state of mind” the day of the offending. Referring to the breach of bail, Mr Pawson said it was under “mutual” circumstances that the pair were together. He said his client was no longer seeing the victim, who was not now living in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Mr Pawson urged Magistrate Paul Lyons to consider fines an appropriate penalty for the offending, while Sen. Const. Fullgrabe said the matter was “past the point of fines”. Mr Lyons noted Grant’s criminal record, which included an instance of assault against another brief partner in January that resulted in unlawful wounding. He acknowledged Grant’s early guilty plea and said it showed she had “taken responsibility” for her actions. Mr Lyons accepted Grant may have experienced violence herself, but said he had concerns she resorted to violence too quickly, emphasising violence was “never acceptable”. Grant was sentenced to a six-month order with community corrections supervision and program requirements. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)