Justin Dodd and Caleb Turner jailed for horrific bashing of security guard at Hackham

A bottle shop security guard offered to let two thieves go – they repaid him by bashing him until he lost consciousness and stomping on his head once he woke up.

A pair of booze thieves bashed a security guard until he lost consciousness, before stomping on his forehead in a “shocking” attack.

Justin Stewart Dodd, 23, and Caleb Turner, 21, were jailed after they left the defenceless man, who offered to let them go, with serious injuries.

During sentencing, the District Court heard Thomas Moffatt was working as a security guard at the Hackham Thirsty Camel bottle shop on July 16, 2022.

Dodd and Turner entered the bottle shop at 10.40pm and left the store without paying for bottles of alcohol.

Mr Moffat, who knew Dodd, through friends at school, and also knew of Turner, followed them out onto Main South Road.

Justin Dodd (left) and Caleb Turner were jailed for the violent robbery. Photo: Facebook

“Mr Moffat called out to you, saying, ‘Hey, look, don’t be silly, it’s not worth it. Is $150 worth your future? I’m going to have to report this’,” Judge Paul Muscat said.

“Essentially, because he knew you, he was going to give you a chance to hand back the bottles, and that is where it would have ended; only, it did not end there.”

Turner swung the bottle he was holding at Mr Moffat’s head, with both men then punching him to the head and body.

Dodd then tripped Mr Moffat’s legs, causing him to fall to the ground.

“The two of you then stomped on his head a number of times,” Judge Muscat said.

The court heard Mr Moffat briefly lost consciousness and when he regained consciousness and opened his eyes Turner stomped on his forehead.

The men then stole Mr Moffat’s watch and his phone.

“The two of you then kicked him to the head several more times as he lay defenceless on the ground, before you both walked off, leaving him battered and injured,” Judge Muscat said.

Mr Moffat was treated for his injuries at the Noarlunga Hospital, which included a bloodied eye, lacerations, a fractured nose and chipped teeth.

Mr Moffat stated in his victim impact statement that he now suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and needs to wear glasses due to his eyesight being affected.

“Mr Moffat copped a nasty beating from the two of you that was totally unwarranted and unnecessary,” Judge Muscat said.

“He had offered to let you go, but you turned on him in a very bad way.”

Dodd, of Hackham West, and Turner, of Mitchell Park, pleaded guilty to theft and robbery.

Judge Muscat said the fact the men were intoxicated at the time did not fully explain the “shocking” attack, noting their criminal history was also linked to excessive drinking.

The court heard Dodd, a father-of-two, had a difficult upbringing and turned to alcohol.

A psychologist report stated crime has become a way of life for Turner and he found being locked up was a way of reconnecting with his friends rather than a deterrent from breaking the law again.

Judge Muscat said while the men’s prospect for rehabilitation was bleak, it was up to them to engage in rehabilitation services and turn their lives around.

He sentenced Dodd to four years jail, with a non-parole period of one year and eight months.

The sentence was backdated to February 28.

Turner was sentenced to four years and two months jail, with a non-parole period of two years and one month.

The sentence was backdated to July 23, 2022.