A teenager who choked his partner until she couldn’t breathe has avoided jail time because he was deemed too young. 

Hunter Owen Trathen, 19, pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to choking his partner in her mother’s home on November 5, 2019.

The offender was convicted and sentenced to 18 months’ jail, but was granted immediate parole.

“It is not necessary at this point to serve actual jail time given your young age and lack of criminal history and underlying vulnerabilities,” Judge William Everson told Trathen.

Ray Hadley was appalled by the decision.

“He pleads guilty to almost choking the life out of an 18-year-old woman and the District Court Judge William Everson says ‘oh no, he’s too young to send to jail’,” Ray Hadley said.

“When someone dies after someone is released, we have inquests, coronial inquests, we jump up and down as a community and say ‘this is not good enough, it’s got to stop’.

“Well, what we’ve got to stop is the District Court judges in various jurisdictions and the magistrates not sharing our grave concern for women who are at peril of violence.”

Press PLAY below to hear Ray’s comments in full 

Image: Getty