“HE HAD HER LIFE IN HIS HANDS”: BRIT EX STRANGLED MUM IN HORROR ATTACK BEFORE WALKING FREE ON SUSPENDED SENTENCE
A British man who strangled his former partner during a terrifying domestic attack in Australia has avoided immediate jail — despite a magistrate warning that he “literally had your life in his hands”.James Daniel Parker, from Southampton, was sentenced in Western Australia after admitting serious domestic violence offences against his ex-partner, Rachel Ann Bradshaw, who has waived her right to anonymity.
Parker appeared in court on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, for offences committed in Ravenswood on 2 February 2025.
He had previously pleaded guilty in March 2025 to two counts of impeding Rachel’s normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to her neck, and one count of unlawfully assaulting her and causing bodily harm in circumstances of aggravation.
The court imposed a 36-month term of imprisonment — but suspended it for two years under a Conditional Suspended Imprisonment Order.
Rachel has now spoken out, saying she cannot believe Parker avoided immediate prison and has since been allowed to travel to the UK.
She said: “I was strangled, headbutted and punched repeatedly by my ex.
We are both from Southampton and this happened in Australia.
He was convicted but only got a suspended sentence and to make matters worse, they’ve allowed him a holiday in the UK.” The handwritten police statement supplied to the court sets out Rachel’s account of the attack in stark detail.
She said Parker, known to her as “Jay”, had been living in a tent at the rear of her home, while she was inside with her three children.
She described the incident beginning after she asked him to cook dinner and later realised he had not done so.
An argument followed, before she took his plate of food outside to the tent where he was staying.
Rachel stated that as she was walking to the tent, she felt pain to the right side of her rib area and believed Parker had stabbed or jabbed her with a fork or similar object.
She said he was behind her as she walked, and that when she began unzipping the tent, he put his arms around her neck and placed her in a headlock.
In the statement, Rachel said she struggled to breathe as Parker held her, forcing her forward while she was on her knees.
She recalled him shouting: “GIVE ME MY FUCKING PLATE YOU BITCH, WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT.” She then said the next thing she remembered was blacking out and later waking up on the floor, frightened.
The ordeal did not end there.
Rachel stated she went back inside, grabbed her plate and went to her bedroom, before locking herself in the toilet area and crying.
She described Parker banging on doors, shouting at her to let him in, and later managing to get through locked doors while she sat on the floor covering her head, face and ears.
She said she became so scared of what Parker might do that she went to the kitchen and picked up a knife.
In her statement, she described Parker seeing her with the knife and asking what she was going to do with it.
Rachel said she replied that she was “just taking it”, before walking back to her bedroom and lying with it.
The statement describes a chilling exchange in which Parker allegedly laughed at her and asked what she was going to do with the knife.
Rachel said she told him to “GET THE FUCK OUT”, but he then got on his knees, raised his head and neck and told her: “JUST FUCKING DO IT THEN.” Rachel said Parker then followed her across the hallway and threatened her, allegedly saying: “DON’T YOU FUCKING DARE, I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU.” She stated he then put his arms around her neck again, placed her in another chokehold and pulled her to the ground.
According to Rachel’s statement, Parker was on his back with her on top of him and also on her back, with his forearms tight enough around her neck that she could not breathe.
She said she clawed at his arms in an attempt to get away and breathe, while banging her hands on the ground because she feared her children would hear her.
Rachel stated Parker eventually released her, but the confrontation continued.
She described another chokehold, saying she was again unable to breathe and began scratching his arms and throwing her arms around to protect herself.
She said Parker then punched her two or three times to the side of the head with his right closed fist, causing her glasses to fall to the floor and leaving her unable to see.
The police statement also records Rachel’s allegation that Parker told her: “YOU THINK YOU’RE SO VINDICTIVE, YOU JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE HOW VINDICTIVE I CAN BE.
I WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE.” She said he then headbutted her, causing a large lump to the side of her head, and continued making threats to her life.
Rachel said she was later able to run back to her bedroom and began voice-recording what was being said.
She stated Parker told her no one would believe her and called her a “psycho” before telling her he had taken the children from her.
The statement describes yet another chokehold in the hallway, with Rachel saying she again struggled to breathe.
She stated Parker kissed her while holding her and told her he loved her, while she banged on the floor and called out for her children because she believed she was going to die.
Rachel said Parker finally left the address in his car in an unknown direction.
She waited in her bedroom until family arrived, then called police the following evening, on Monday, 3 February 2025, at about 8pm.
Police later attended and took her statement.
At sentencing, Her Honour Sandra De Maoi noted the seriousness of Parker’s offending and how frightening the incident would have been for Rachel.
According to the justice department email sent to Rachel after the hearing, the court spoke to Parker “at length” about the high risk associated with non-fatal strangulation, telling him he “literally had your life in his hands”.
Police prosecutors also described the offending as serious and said it had reached the threshold for imprisonment.
However, they did not oppose the prison term being suspended because Parker had completed rehabilitation work.
The court was told Parker attended all 24 sessions of the Connect and Respect Men’s Behaviour Change programme and also completed the Stronger Families Caring Dads programme.
Reports said he had made progress in accountability, emotional awareness, emotional regulation, understanding his abusive behaviour, coercive control and toxic masculinity.
Outstanding treatment needs remained around safe contact resolution and assertive communication, with ongoing counselling recommended.
Parker’s sentence included a 25 per cent discount for his early guilty pleas and one night already spent in custody.
He must now comply with the suspended sentence order and be supervised by Adult Community Corrections for two years.
Rachel says the outcome has left her devastated.
She said: “I can’t actually believe what he’s gotten away with and now he’s in the UK thinking he can do what he likes and get away with it.
It makes me sick.” She added that she remains in Australia with their son and claims Parker still owes her thousands, saying: “He has and continues to torture me and he needs to be stopped.”
