A serial criminal who had "a smirk on his face" after violently assaulting his ex-partner has been sentenced to five years and five months in jail.
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On Friday, a court heard David Christopher Laipato, 31, was found guilty of burglarising, confining, and choking the mother of his four-year-old child.
He was acquitted of six other charges by a jury in September, 2019.
Justice John Burns said Laipato showed "no remorse" for his actions, and hadn't changed his attitude towards domestic violence since being in custody.
The ACT Supreme Court heard Laipato's ex-partner told him "it was over" a few hours before he came to her house about 12am on January 8 this year.
Court documents said Laipato sent her a message about 8.50pm on January 7, which said: "Your going to regret this night [sic]".
He "dragged" her from one room to another, choked her, covered her mouth and nose, and said something to the effect of, "I could f---ing kill you", while he did it, Justice Burns said.
When she was on the ground, Laipato said, "You'll be fine", and had a smirk on his face, court documents said. Justice Burns said the woman thought she was going to die.
She lived with fear and mistrust after the attack, Justice Burns said. She had anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Laipato had a lengthy criminal history, and it wasn't the first time he was convicted for crimes against his ex-partner, Justice Burns said.
On this occasion, Laipato's assault on his ex-partner was an example of "extreme violence". "You confined your victim for a period of one and a half hours," Justice Burns told Laipato in court.
He described Laipato's choking of his ex-partner as a "deliberate and sustained course of conduct", which impaired her breathing.
Laipato assaulted his ex-partner because he was angry she ended their relationship, Justice Burns said. His prospects for rehabilitation were "guarded at best".
The court heard Laipato's defence said he was also subjected to violence in the relationship. While in custody, he was assaulted and had to have more than 200 stitches.
While Justice Burns took the assault into account, he could not give it "significant weight" in considering whether Laipato should be jailed, he said.
He sentenced Laipato to a total five years and five months in prison, to start on January 8, 2019, and end on June 7, 2024.
Laipato would be eligible for parole on July 7, 2022.