A Canberra man allegedly grabbed his ex-partner by the throat, threw a perfume bottle at her head and slapped her in the face, all while their two young children were within earshot.
The 25-year-old man, who has been charged with assault, was refused bail when he appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday. He did not enter a plea.
Police allege that the man turned up unannounced at his former partner's suburban Gungahlin home on Sunday afternoon, then argued with the woman when she would not let him take their children to a park.
In court documents, police say the disagreement turned physical as the man followed the woman into her bedroom and pinned her to a wall with both of his hands around her neck.
He is accused of taking one hand away, using it to grab a bottle of perfume and throw it at the woman's head. The woman ducked and narrowly avoided being hit by the bottle as it shattered on the wall, according to the documents.
The man allegedly maintained his grip on the woman's neck and pushed her onto the bed as she tried desperately to break free by biting him.
Police say that when the woman eventually pushed the man off her, he responded by slapping her in the face.
The woman went to a police station later on Sunday afternoon, and told officers that the man had insisted he would hurt her even if doing so meant he had to go to jail. She said he had also told her that he was going to make sure she lost her job.
In addition, the woman gave police an audio recording that allegedly captured part of the incident.
She had visible marks on her neck and spoke with "a raspy voice", according to a forensic medical officer who examined her.
Police questioned the man on Sunday night, and court documents say he admitted in an interview to striking and pushing the woman. However, he claimed to have done so in self-defence, and denied placing his hands on the woman's neck.
The man was charged early on Monday morning with common assault, and he appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court hours later.
A prosecutor indicated to the court that further, more serious charges were likely to be laid in the future.
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Duty lawyer Brice Hamack confirmed that the man disputed a number of aspects of the police allegations and would deny placing his hands on the woman's neck.
Mr Hamack said the man could live at an address in Civic if granted bail, and arrangements could be made for the man to see his children without the need for contact with the woman.
But Magistrate James Stewart refused the man bail on grounds including the likelihood of the 25-year-old committing offences, endangering the woman's safety and intimidating witnesses if released.
The man is due back in court next month.
