Howard Wright: Police say fine for bar boss who struck child with car not a green light for vigilantism

Police claim a Gold Coast bar boss who they alleged drove dangerously towards a boy – knocking him off his e-bike – had been racially abused and harassed prior to the collision.

Police claim a Gold Coast bar boss who they alleged drove dangerously towards a boy – knocking him off his e-bike – had been racially abused and harassed prior to the collision.

Gold Coast police have also rejected a suggestion that fining Audi driver Howard Wright and not charging him could encourage similar behaviour from others.

Mr Wright, 58, was issued an on-the-spot fine of $645 and three demerit points for driving without due care and attention after colliding with the 12-year-old boy’s bike at Paradise Point on January 6.

The incident, captured on the boy’s GoPro and published on social media, depicts him remonstrating with Mr Wright in the wake of the collision, protesting he “didn’t do nothing” and asking, “why did you hit me?”

Mr Wright is seen alleging to bystanders the adolescent was part of a clique responsible for harassing him.

Police initially put out a statement to media alleging the 58-year-old was behind the wheel of an Audi A5 when it was driven in a “dangerous manner towards a 12-year-old boy from Paradise Point”.

Hospitality boss Howard Wright as captured by the 12-year-old e-bike rider’s GoPro. Picture: File

There is no suggestion Mr Wright’s striking of the boy was deliberate or intentional and in the video Mr Wright can be heard claiming the boy “ran” in front of him – and telling him, “this bike is illegal”.

On Monday morning, Gold Coast police revealed the full video captured by the adolescent’s GoPro – not just the snippet posted online – corroborated the account of Mr Wright.

Since the collision, Mr Wright had received multiple threatening voicemails after his address and phone number were published online.

There is no suggestion the boy, any family or bystanders were involved in the threats.

Acting Superintendent Jason Tuffley also alleged to media on Monday: “He [Mr Wright] was racially abused and harassed prior to the collision by the boy and his associates.”

Superintendent Tuffley also alleged the Audi driver had been called a “n-----”.

Police said the boy had been given a warning, not only for the alleged harassment and racial abuse of Mr Wright, but for also allegedly publicising personal details including the hospitality identity’s address online, a practice known as ‘doxxing’.

Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Jason Tuffley speaking at the Surfers Paradise Police Centre on Monday, January 20, 2025. Picture: Alex Treacy

There had been “at least two” threatening voicemails warning of physical harm as of Sunday, but according to Superintendent Tuffley, overnight there had been “an increase in threats” towards Mr Wright.

“A complaint has been taken in respect of the online threats and those investigations continue,” Superintendent Tuffley said.

The officer said police had spoken with the boy and boy’s parents on Thursday about investigators’ chosen course of action over the collision.

“It is acknowledged that they do not agree with the decision not to proceed with criminal charges, however, police are satisfied that appropriate action has been taken,” Superintendent Tuffley said.

Asked if handing out an on-the-spot fine rather than pursuing criminal charges over the collision signalled that people could expect lesser treatment by police for unlawful actions if they could prove they had been provoked, Superintendent Tuffley said: “I don’t believe that at all.”

“[Mr Wright] has reported this to police, police have looked at the matter in its entirety using all the footage, not the bit that was posted online, and we believe that this is the most appropriate action to deal with this matter.”

Originally published as Howard Wright: Police say fine for bar boss who struck child with car not a green light for vigilantism