Court stoush over alleged knock out of ‘Cairns Ninja’ Henry Blackmore by disability worker Shane Raymond Burrows

A man who allegedly dragged a man from under his car, beat him unconscious and left him in intensive care with claims he only responded in self-defence against the ‘Cairns Ninja’.

Cairns man Henry Blackmore is a black belt in ninjistu.

A jury has heard how a man was allegedly hit three times and woke up in intensive care after being dragged from under his car where he was sleeping after an argument with his former girlfriend.

However the alleged perpetrator - 47-year-old Shane Raymond Burrows - said the man, a black-belt martial artist in ninjistu who called himself CairnsNinja on Snapchat, came out from under a car ready to fight him.

Mr Burrows told the jury in his opening address that “the law should protect” his client because he only acted in self-defence when he knocked the man unconscious with three blows.

The alleged victim, 36-year-old Henry Blackmore told the court he had returned from his work as a fly-in, fly-out miner when his girlfriend discovered text messages with another woman which indicated he had been cheating on her.

The case centred around whether the complainant was dragged from the under the car or came out himself ready to fight

He said his girlfriend responded by kicking him out of the house. At first he said he slept in the park and asked his girlfriend if he could return the next day, which she declined, so he started to sleep underneath his all-wheel drive in the driveway hoping his now ex-girlfriend would rekindle the relationship.

Mr Blackmore claims he was woken up on the fourth night with a man grabbing his leg as he slept under the car, dragged him out from under the car and proceeded to punch him in the face three times which knocked him unconscious.

However, Mr Burrow’s lawyer suggeted that the man was woken up when he arrived by motorbike after being called by the man’s girlfriend to assist getting him away from the property.

The disability support worker and said Mr Blackmore came out from underneath the car threatening to ‘f--k you up’ and got into a martial arts pose.

The security guard and disability support worker said Mr Blackmore had previously threatened him in text messages because he believed Mr Burrows was having sex with his girlfriend and he had previously heard the man describe himself as a “lethal weapon”.

The court also heard Mr Blackmore was a black belt in ninjistu.

It’s not disputed that Mr Blackmore was knocked unconscious and woke up to find himself in intensive care.

Mr Burrows said he was called to the property by Mr Burrows ex-girlfriend who said she was “too old for this shit” and no longer wanted Mr Blackmore at her property.

Notwithstanding what the court was told wabout Mr Blackmore’s martial arts training, the man told court he was a big guy, weighing 125kg that he only used an open palm on the man’s face because he was worried about the damage he might to do to the smaller man.

He said he used an open palm and hit him three times.

He said he then put the man into a recovery position he had learned through a first aid course and rang 000.

Mr Blackmore maintains he was sleeping and was woke up by someone pulling at his leg before the alleged assault.

The trial continues today.

Originally published as Court stoush over alleged knock out of ‘Cairns Ninja’ Henry Blackmore by disability worker Shane Raymond Burrows