Juwhan Lloyd Lee Paulson pleads guilty to assault, wilful damage

An aspiring farm or retail worker in a “bad mood” went on an angry rampage through Bundaberg, beating a Sugarland Plaza shopper, smashing windows and damaging cars.

A man who beat up a shopper at Sugarland Plaza and took out his rage on cars and shop windows will face months of probation and hundreds of hours of community service as punishment.

Juwhan Lloyd Lee Paulson, 23, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Thursday to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, six counts of wilful damage and one count of contravening a direction or requirement of police.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Grant Klaassen told the court that on March 22, 2022, Paulson launched an attack on an unknown man at Sugarland Plaza.

The defendant was seen on CCTV pushing the 46-year-old victim over, calling him a “white bald dog c---” and kicking him while he was on the ground.

Paulson then left the mall and kicked the wing mirror of a Toyota Yaris before damaging a Ford by ramming it with a trolley.

Juwhan Lloyd Lee Paulson.

He then headed to the Aldi carpark where he damaged another car’s wing mirror.

Paulson went to the airport BP and took a window squeegee and used it to hit the shopfront window until it broke.

He then walked to a business on Kendalls Rd, as well as the office of retirement village Argyle Gardens, and threw rocks through their windows.

On March 21, 2022, he failed to attend Bundaberg Police Station to give his particulars.

“He made admissions to committing those offences,” Sergeant Klaassen said.

“Regarding the assault, he admitted using both hands to push the victim over. He denied hitting the victim, saying by that point in time they were both engaged in a fight.

“He said he didn't know the male and his reason for his offence that day was he was just in a bad mood.”

Sergeant Klaassen said Paulson had a two-page history of offending including prior charges of wilful damage.

The court heard the shopping centre attack was Paulson’s first assault offence and that he had not reoffended since.

His lawyer Gavin James said Paulson, supported in court by his mother, had suffered after the death of his grandmother and that he had started to use cannabis which had caused mental health issues.

It was heard Paulson suffers from depression and anxiety, and had a tough early life, but had completed a farming practices course and was hopeful of working in farming, retail or hospitality.

Magistrate Edwina Rowan highlighted the concerning elements of Paulson’s offending.

“The level of violence that you exhibited to a person who was unknown to you without provocation is very, very concerning,” she said.

“It is concerning because it occurs against a background of you, at the time, being on a suspended term of imprisonment, not for a similar offence, but it is very concerning the level of violence you engaged in,” she said.

Ms Rowan told Paulson that being in a bad mood was never an excuse for violence.

For the charge of assault occasioning bodily harm, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 months’ probation.

For all wilful damage charges, Paulson was sentenced to 200 hours’ community service, to be completed within 12 months.

He was also ordered to pay restitution to the wilful damage victims who requested it. He must may $1020 to one victim and $600 to another, deferred to SPER.

For contravening a direction or requirement of police, he was convicted but not further punished.

Paulson also had a suspended sentence, which had been placed on him on January 31, 2022 following previous offending, extended by eight months.

“If you're having a bad day, you need to find some other way to address your anger rather than hurting someone or damaging property,” Ms Rowan told him.