A serial domestic abuser has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after attempting to murder his model girlfriend in a “brutal and heartbreaking” assault.
Daniel William Huish, 33, was sentenced in the Perth Supreme Court on Monday for the horrific and degrading attack on his then-partner in November 2021.
The court heard during an earlier trial that the nightmare attack began when Huish returned to his Burswood flat from the gym and demanded the password to his girlfriend’s phone.
The young woman, who was spending the night in the city centre apartment, refused to give Huish the code as he accused her of cheating on him.
Huish’s accusations escalated into a violent and prolonged attack that only stopped when the woman pretended to be unconscious.
The court heard Huish repeatedly threatened to kill the girl, strangled her several times and slammed her hand against a door.
At one point, the woman managed to run to the balcony of the apartment, where she desperately shouted to commuters waiting at a nearby train station for help.
Passengers watched as she was dragged back to the apartment by her hair before Huish grabbed a large kitchen knife and slashed her across the chest.
Daniel William Huish (pictured) was sentenced to 15 years in prison after attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend.
Huish only stopped attacking the woman when she pretended to be unconscious (file image)
The woman grabbed the knife in an attempt to protect herself, leaving deep cuts on her hand.
Believing she would die from Huish’s relentless attack, the woman resorted to pretending to be unconscious in the hopes that he would stop.
Huish proceeded to slap her, splash toilet water in her face and urinate on her in an attempt to wake her up.
Two police officers, who had been called by passengers at the train station, arrived at the flat where Huish attempted to block their entry before attacking them.
The previous trial also raised questions about Huish’s history of violence by one of his former partners and his previous convictions for domestic violence in Queensland and New South Wales.
Huish pleaded guilty to obstructing and assaulting police officers and detaining and assaulting the victim, but denied attempting to murder her.
A jury later found him guilty of the charge and of strangling her four times.
Judge Bruno Fiannaca concluded that Huish’s attack demonstrated “male entitlement and control” over the victim.
“You acted out of a sense of entitlement and possessiveness in a desire to punish her,” he said. ABC reported.
Judge Fiannaca highlighted the use of strangulation as a very serious offence and described domestic violence as a scourge on society.
He sentenced Huish to 15 years in prison, of which he must serve 12 before being eligible for parole.
The sentence was backdated to Huish’s arrest in November 2021, meaning he could be released as early as 2034.
Judge Fiannaca noted that Huish’s use of strangulation was very serious and declared him a repeat offender of family violence (pictured, Perth Supreme Court)
Judge Fiannaca also imposed a lifetime restraining order banning Huish from contacting the victim and declared him a serial family violence offender.
In an emotional victim impact statement last week, the woman described the “profound and devastating” effect Huish’s attack had on her life.
“My life changed that day because of a brutal attempt on my life,” he said.
‘Physically, the cruelty of the attacker left me with a hand that no longer works as it used to.
‘The memory of suffocation and strangulation haunts me deeply. The fear of losing my breath consumes me. The emotional scars are deep and ever-present, robbing me of sleep.
“Emotional distress has destroyed my sense of self-worth.”
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