Alan David Owens in court for hitting tenant with garden hose

A Rosedale man lashed his tenant across his back, torso and buttocks after the tenant arrived home drunk and broke some pot plants.

Alan David Owens assaulted a man multiple times with a rubber hose, a Bundaberg court heard.

A former truck driver laid into his tenant with a garden hose and tried to get into his home using a grinder after the tenant broke some pot plants while drunk.

Alan David Owens pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday to two charges of assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed.

The court heard Owens and the complainant shared a property in Rosedale, with the complainant living in a demountable at the front of the property while Owens lived in the main house.

On the day of the offences Owens was woken at 3am by the sound of someone smashing pot plants on his property.

The court heard the complainant had arrived home intoxicated by alcohol and was smashing the pot plants next to the demountable.

The police prosecutor said that Owens, 60 years old at the time of the offences, confronted the complainant about the pot plants and “ongoing tenancy issues at the time,” and an argument then ensued between the two men.

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Through the course of the argument Owens struck the complainant with a length of rubber hose multiple times on the legs, back and shoulder.

He then chased the complainant off the property, with the man escaping through a hole in a barbed wire fence.

After taking refuge at a neighbour’s residence for about two hours the complainant returned to Owens’ property, entered the demountable through a window and laid on the bed to go to sleep.

Owens then approached the demountable and ordered the complainant leave the property, which the man refused to do before going back to sleep.

The police prosecutor said the complainant was then woken up by the sound of a “grinding cutting device,” which was the sound of Owens using a grinder to cut into the front door and padlock securing access to the demountable.

The complainant was woken up by the sound of a “grinding cutting device,” which was the sound of Owens using a grinder to cut into the front door and padlock securing access to the demountable.

The complainant left the demountable through the front door in order to again escape the property and take refuge with the neighbours.

While attempting to escape Owens again assaulted the complainant, punching him in the head and striking him with the rubber hose across the torso “multiple times in quick succession,” the police prosecutor said.

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The complainant again escaped the property through the barbed wire fence and walked to Rosedale police station for assistance.

When questioned, Owens admitted to assaulting the complainant and trying to enter the demountable using the grinder.

Alan David Owens assaulted a man multiple times with a rubber hose, a Bundaberg court heard.

A series of photos showing injuries inflicted on the complainant were tendered to the court, with Magistrate John McInnes describing them as showing linear welts, abrasions and bruises on the man’s back, torso and buttocks.

Owens’ lawyer, Lavonda Maloy, told the court her client had most recently worked as an interstate truck driver for around 10 years before having a stroke, which required him to surrender his licence.

Ms Maloy said Owens was now a full-time carer for his elderly mother and received income from government carer’s benefit payments.

The court heard that Owens recognised that his behaviour in assaulting the man with the rubber hose was excessive, and he had written a letter of apology to the complainant, which was tendered to the court.

Mr McInnes ordered Owens be placed on a good behaviour bond and pay a $750 fine and $1250 in compensation to the complainant.

Owens was ordered not to approach within 10m of the complainant for a period of two years.

Convictions were not recorded.