A man who allegedly choked his ex-partner until she lost consciousness in front of five children has been denied bail.
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The Ballarat Magistrates' Court heard on Tuesday the man, who The Courier will not name to protect the identity of the complainant, allegedly assaulted the woman to a "consistent and repetitive loss of consciousness".
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Jack Fletcher said the alleged offending was significant.
"All five children were present at one stage - and I'll read directly from the summary - 'he kept choking me until my eyes popped out of my head ... until I came to and then he would do it all again'," he said.
Defence for the man argued he did not pose an unacceptable risk to the ex-partner if bailed, noting he was "no longer psychotic" as per a psychological report, and had the support of another woman he could live with 50 kilometers away from the complainant.
"Substances, as well as mental health, have played a role in his offending so far," the defence said.
The man's defence also said there was a lack of evidence for some of the charges, including a lack of medical report for the complainant's injuries.
"There are significant issues with the prosecution case - we don't say that it's a weak case, but we don't say that it's particularly strong," the defence said.
The court also heard the man threatened to assault a neighbour who came to the aid of the complainant when she tried to escape the alleged assault.
Police informant Detective Senior Constable Christopher Brown said there were photographs of the injuries and the distance between the man and the complainant would not alleviate any risk.
"Looking at the photos - the lumps on the head, scratches, grazes ... this is an extremely severe family violence incident of what appears to be severe anger," Senior Constable Christopher Brown said.
"[The distance] doesn't alleviate the risk I believe."
Magistrate Mark Stratmann ultimately agreed.
"The nature of the seriousness of this offending is at the highest end," the magistrate said.
"I don't consider the prosecutions case to be weak ... I consider it to be strong.
"In my view in the event that [he] pleads guilty to these offences, he is facing a significant period of imprisonment."
The matter will return to court in June.
If you or someone you know is in need of crisis support, phone Lifeline 13 11 14. Contact 1800 RESPECT for family violence support.
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