Christian Jack Joseph: Friends left in ‘complete shock’ as charges laid against doctor over choke-hold death

The friend group of a Perth doctor charged over an alleged choke-hold death after an altercation in Fremantle on Saturday morning say they have been left completely stunned after he was thrown behind bars. Christian Jack Joseph — a 26-year-old junior doctor from Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital— is accused of chasing a stranger down before placing him in a choke-hold for about one minute and 50 seconds on a street before the man died in the early hours on Saturday. After he was charged with the offence of manslaughter, Perth Magistrates Court was told that Dr Joseph and a friend had seen the alleged victim peering through a small window to a property before confronting him on South Terrace, near Douglas Street. The court was told that Dr Joseph, who has been charged with manslaughter, had been out with friends, drinking at several Fremantle venues with friends before the altercation early Saturday. Dr Joseph’s public social media profiles show he is passionate about music, travel and has previously won gold medals in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He regularly posted about his medical career. A friend of Dr Joseph, who wished to remain anonymous, said the allegations were a “complete shock” to his close friend group. “This is a complete shock to our friend circle as Chris was a genuine guy, he was very talented with just about any musical instrument, was very committed to his study and managed to balance it with a good social life,” they said in a statement to The West. “He was a great mate above all else with an awesome sense of humour and was regarded a friendly face to many in our year group. “I don’t have anything bad to say about him . . . he always wanted to be a doctor and follow his dad’s boots, (he) was the smartest guy at our school by a mile, it’s a complete shock.” Police are understood to have CCTV of the incident. Police allege Dr Joseph and his friend, who were returning to a nearby property, yelled at the man before they allegedly pursued him on foot. His lawyer, when arguing for his client to be released on bail, said the victim appeared to have suffered a medical episode when he was placed taken down and placed in a choke-hold. The court was told on Sunday as soon as Dr Joseph started CPR on the man and urged a friend to call police. The older man died at Fiona Stanley Hospital after he was found unresponsive at the scene. Dr Joseph, from Crawley, was arrested in Fremantle alongside his friend after police were alerted to the situation by St John WA paramedics about 2.05am. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a popular martial art which teaches submission holds such as joint locks and various chokes. The 26-year-old has posted about competing in several competitions and has previously won a State title in a round-robin type format at white belt — the first of five adult belts before being promoted to black. Videos posted to Dr Joseph’s Instagram show the young man winning at least two matches by submission during a competition, including by using a modified rear-naked choke and a guillotine choke after being taken down. In the videos posted to his social media, both of his opponents are seen tapping out in a matter of seconds, with Dr Joseph almost immediately releasing his grip. BJJ practitioners told The West that athletes in training are encouraged to ensure they have control of their opponents and to avoid reckless behaviour which could injure training partners. Dr Joseph’s lawyer on Sunday claimed the young doctor was “dedicated to saving lives” and that the allegations were “out of character” during his first court appearance on Sunday. He further claimed that Dr Joseph had applied only a light amount of pressure to the man when using the choke, adding that he acted in self-defence after allegedly chasing him down. Dr Joseph forms part of a five-piece indie rock band, which is based out Fremantle according to an Instagram page. He was remanded in custody after an application for bail and request to suppress his identity was denied by a magistrate on Sunday. He is next listed to appear in court on August 5.