A Nowra man viciously bashed his partner, choked her and tried to drown her in a bathtub before she managed to flee and alert police, sparking a lengthy siege, a court has heard.
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Shane Noel Barker was eventually arrested without incident on the morning of January 24, but not before he doused his body in petrol and barricaded himself inside a property on Young Street.
Police will allege the 38-year-old had spent the proceeding hours tormenting and trying to kill his partner, following a history of domestic abuse.
He is now facing charges of assault and attempted murder.
A set of police facts tendered to Wollongong Local Court during Barker's recent bail application said the victim was in her bedroom when she heard a knock on the door just after 6am.
She told police she went to answer it and was immediately set upon by Barker, who pushed her back into the room and allegedly began hitting her with his fists and a shifting spanner.
It is alleged he then wound a piece of rope around her neck and used it to lift her from the ground while telling her he was going to kill her.
The woman said she was able to free herself from the rope and ran into the kitchen however Barker allegedly followed her and began throwing knives at her.
Court documents said the victim fled to the bathroom where Barker allegedly grabbed her by her hair and tried to drag her into the shower.
He then allegedly ordered her to fill the bathtub with water. When it was half full, Barker held her head under water and tried to drown her, police will allege.
The victim told police she and Barker ended up in another bedroom but she was unsure how they got there. She claimed Barker repeatedly tried to choke her until she was able to calm him down and they returned to the kitchen.
The woman said she began cooking Barker breakfast in an attempt to further calm him.
Police will allege the woman managed to jump through an open window and escape a short time later when Barker momentarily left the kitchen.
The woman fled to a neighbour's house where police were contacted.
Officers arrived a short time later to arrest Barker but he barricaded the house and doused himself in petrol.
He eventually surrendered and was arrested without incident.
Meanwhile, the victim provided a recorded statement to police before being taken to Shoalhaven Hospital for treatment.
In seeking Barker's release on bail, defence lawyer Brett Ford questioned the strength of the case again his client, claiming the victim had told police she wanted "nothing further to do with the matter" and had refused them access to her medical records.
However, Magistrate Clair Girotto noted the woman had given a statement to police at the time of the incident, which bolstered the Crown case.
She refused Barker bail and adjourned the case to May 19.
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