Braden McKracken sentenced after machete attack on teenager

Details about the day a 23-year-old man helped confront a teen who was stabbed and had to have surgery can be revealed.

Braden McKracken has been sentenced to parole after attacking a teen with a machete.

A 23-year-old man who swung a machete at a teen during a violent altercation, went to the house “looking for trouble”, Bundaberg District Court has heard.

Braden McKracken pleaded guilty to one count of wounding after he and his brother confronted a 17-year-old at his home over a prior dispute.
Crown prosecutor Luke Smoothy told the court the first altercation stemmed from accusations of theft at a takeaway shop.
McKracken’s brother witnessed that altercation and spoke to him before they decided to confront the teenager.
Someone overheard the conversation and warned the 17-year-old, who then armed himself and a friend with steak knives in anticipation of their arrival, the court heard.
McKracken took a “large fishing knife” to the home, while his brother was allegedly armed with a “large machete”.

Once there, McKracken’s brother (who is still before the courts) allegedly raised the machete and demanded to know why the victim had punched someone,” the court heard.

Braden McKracken has been placed on parole after attacking a teen with a machete.

When the victim and his friend attempted to escape, McKracken’s brother allegedly threatened them with the machete again.
Fearing for his safety, the 17-year-old stabbed McKracken’s brother in the chest in self-defence, causing him to drop the weapon.
McKracken then picked up the machete and swung it at the teenager, inflicting a deep wound to his forearm that cut into his wrist muscle.
The injury required surgery and ongoing occupational therapy.
All of the men involved went to hospital following the incident.

Mr Smoothy said that while McKracken was not allegedly the initial aggressor, he still caused harm.

McKracken’s defence lawyer told the court his client, a Woolworths employee, had been injured but hoped to return to work and aspired to become a traffic controller.

The court also heard McKracken was initially forthcoming with police but later provided inconsistent accounts of the events.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren said the brothers had been “looking for trouble” and the situation could have been avoided.
She described McCracken’s decision to pick up the machete after his brother was injured as “stupid”.
McKracken was placed on 18 months’ parole and warned that any future violent offences or crimes punishable by imprisonment would result in immediate incarceration, calling the case a “sliding doors moment” for him.