Our client was a young labourer from the north coast charged with choking and common assault in relation to his partner. On the basis of significant inconsistencies in the partner’s version of events, we negotiated with the prosecution offering to plead to the common assault in exchange for dropping the choking, an offence which carries a maximum 10 years’ imprisonment in the District Court. The prosecution accepted the offer on the day of hearing, and our client received a small fine only of $300 for the assault as well as an AVO.