A man has been granted bail despite being accused of choking his former partner into unconsciousness.
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The Ballarat Magistrates' Court was told Herve Songoya, 27, had been drinking with friends at his Daylesford home on April 11 when his housemate, a former partner, arrived home.
After attempting to discuss issues, the complainant said she wanted to move out.
It's alleged Songoya was "agitated" by this, and the complainant "retreated" to her bedroom, according to the police summary.
Songoya alleged punched the door hard enough to damage it, before entering the room and ignoring the complainant telling him to get out and pushing him away.
He responded by pushing her back "hard" onto the bed, pinning her arms and striking her to the face.
It's alleged he ripped her jumper before placing her in a "chokehold" until she lost consciousness.
The complainant said she woke to find the accused stroking her hair - she then tried to flee, grabbing a kitchen knife at one point, until her friends arrived and police were called.
The informant, Detective Senior Constable Joshua Coyle from the Moorabool Family Violence Unit, said Songoya denied choking the complainant though he acknowledged he noticed her difficulty breathing in a police interview.
He added the complainant had been taken to hospital and had bruising to the neck, and despite being discharged from hospital, still had difficulty swallowing.
"To a degree, the concern is the lack of remorse - I don't think he understands the seriousness of it, given his attitude," he said.
The defence lawyer stated Songoya had no prior criminal history at all, and could live at his brother's house in Melbourne with no issues.
He said Songoya had stable full-time employment in Daylesford, and submitted there was a risk that Songoya could spend more time in custody waiting for hearings than his potential sentence.
Bail conditions could be strict enough to manage risks of reoffending or interfering with witnesses, he added.
The police prosecutor said the primary concern was the complainant's safety, if Songoya received bail.
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Magistrate Suzette Dootjes said Songoya was facing "quite serious charges", but it was "significant" he had no prior charges.
"In my view the risk can be mitigated to an acceptable level," she said, granting the bail application.
Songoya will return to court on April 23.
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