Man, 67, bashed for noise plea

A TEENAGER who bashed a 67-year-old man with a metal pole during a heated neighbourhood noise dispute was fined $1000 in Bundaberg Magistrates Court yesterday.

A TEENAGER who bashed a 67-year-old man with a metal pole during a heated neighbourhood noise dispute was fined $1000 in Bundaberg Magistrates Court yesterday.

Jai Zamah Prasad, 17, of Broadmeadow Avenue, Thabeban, was listening to music in his car outside his home on December 30, when the older man confronted him.

The man complained the music was so loud he could not hear his television.

Police prosecutor Robyn Shapcott said the pair exchanged increasingly heated words before a number of other people at Prasad’s home started abusing the older man.

The teenager then pushed the 67-year-old in the chest and the man started to walk away. Sgt Shapcott said Prasad armed himself with a metal pole, which was one to two metres long, and followed his neighbour on to the road.

Another person at the house also armed himself with an object and approached the older man.

The court was told the 67-year-old was hit in the back of the head and fell to the ground unconscious.

When he regained consciousness, Prasad raised the pole and bashed him a number of times.

“The defendant struck him with the metal pole several times in his body,” Sgt Shapcott said.

She said the victim was taken to hospital “bleeding profusely” from his head.

Defence barrister Simon Burgess said it was a “totally out-of-character” action for his client.

“He armed himself to scare the complainant with it and it developed into a tussle,” Mr Burgess said.

The court was told Prasad was trying to get into the army and Mr Burgess asked that no conviction be recorded.

The barrister said his client understood the 67-year-old wanted compensation for the attack.

Magistrate Neil Lavaring said because of his lack of history and his youth, he would not record a conviction against the student, and fined him $1000 for the attack.

He was ordered to pay $1500 compensation to the man.

Originally published as Man, 67, bashed for noise plea