Nicolas Gerrad Abela to be sentenced in higher court over ‘vicious’ assault on a woman at Ingham

A North Queensland man previously jailed for abusing women only stopped his ‘almost catastrophic’ attack on a defenceless woman when a bystander stepped in. Warning: Distressing.

A woman was left crying and barely conscious after the attack by Nicolas Gerrad Abela.

A North Queensland man who tried to run after unleashing a vicious and “almost catastrophic” unprovoked assault on a woman will be hauled before a judge, after his crime was deemed too serious for a lower court.

Nicolas Gerrad Abela, 22, was only just released from jail for offences of violence against women – including abusing one at knifepoint – when he assaulted the woman on July 30, 2022.

Reading through the facts, Townsville Magistrate Ross Mack remarked: “How does it get worse?”.

Abela and the woman had been at the TYTO wetlands in Ingham at 4.30am when he began the assault.

Abela screamed abuse at the woman and threatened to “bash her” before he swung her into a concrete wall, grabbed her head and forcefully smashed it into the wall five times, the court heard.

Nicolas Gerrad Abela stomped on a woman’s head multiple times during a protracted assault.

“He has (then) grabbed her (by her hair) across the footpath, slammed her head into the concrete wall; she laid motionless on the ground,” police prosecutor Georgie Kiloh said.

“He’s taken a run-up again and (then) booted the victim in the head three times.”

A bystander intervened and overpowered Abela, before he ran away.

Abela made another getaway attempt when officers tried to arrest him.

He pleaded guilty to offences including assault occasioning bodily harm in a public place while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance (domestic violence) and obstruct police officer.

“This assault was vicious, it was protracted and violently executed and appeared entirely unprovoked,” Ms Kiloh said.

“The victim was described to be crying and barely conscious.”

The extent of the woman’s injuries were not revealed, as no medical report was tendered to the court by the prosecution.

This was not Abela’s first time in court for committing domestic violence offences against women.

In a previous assault, Abela verbally abused a woman when he pushed her into a wall and held a knife to her throat and stomach.

Abela was previously jailed for a domestic violence related attack.

On another occasion, multiple witnesses spotted Abela striking a woman while driving on the motorway – ending with the woman trying to get out of the moving car.

Mr Mack was not satisfied with the submission Abela should be jailed for 2.5 years.

“It’s a brutal, protracted, disgraceful, violent – almost catastrophic you might think – attack, not only to the body but the head of a woman, who was completely unable to defend herself and was only stopped when a stranger intervened,” Mr Mack said.

Abela’s lawyer Andrew Maxwell said he was concerned with the matter proceeding in a lower court, but prosecutions had “maintained it could be dealt with” in that jurisdiction.

In the Magistrates Court jurisdiction, a head sentence of three years is the highest that can be imposed.

“This offence is too serious for this jurisdiction,” Mr Mack said.

“I think, and I am of the view that a period of imprisonment in excess of three years is appropriate,.”

Abela was committed in custody to the Townsville District Court.

He was convicted and not punished on the obstruct police charge.

Originally published as Nicolas Gerrad Abela to be sentenced in higher court over ‘vicious’ assault on a woman at Ingham