Raymond Leslie Hudson pleads guilty to serious assault of person over 60

A court has heard a former Volunteer Marine Rescue radio operator unleashed a brutal and ‘cowardly’ attack on a dog walker, leaving his victim on the ground, losing arterial blood.

Raymond Leslie Hudson, 68, enters Bundaberg Magistrates Court where he pleaded gulty to one count of serious assault of a person over 60.

A Bundaberg court has heard how a North Burnett man left police a “foreshadowing” voicemail message before launching a horror attack on a dog walker.

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In Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Monday, Raymond Leslie Hudson, 68, pleaded guilty to one count of serious assault of a person over 60.

The court heard the victim, 72, lived in a small community of less than a dozen occupied homes south of Monto and had been out walking his dogs around 10.30am on September 11 last year.

It was heard Hudson had complained to police about the victim’s manner of dog walking a week before the attack and had left a voicemail to police on the day.

Hudson told police on the voicemail: “G’day it’s Ray Hudson here from Abercorn, that lazy thing from the church, he’s just at the neighbour’s, he’s got the dogs in there and he’s walking around now annoying everyone. You can do something about him, otherwise, you know, someone else might have to”.

Around 10.30am, the victim had been walking his dogs when one dog went into a neighbour’s yard, with the woman at that home yelling at the dog.

The court heard Hudson then yelled out to the victim, who came to talk to him for a short time, before the victim went on his way towards his home.

It was then police said Hudson jumped in his Hilux ute and drove aggressively towards the victim before braking heavily.

A small tomahawk axe was in the vehicle with Hudson.

Hudson enters Bundaberg Magistrates Court.

The court heard Hudson got out of his car, with police alleging he said “I’m having you c---”.

Those words were disputed by the defendant’s lawyer who said his client did not swear and had, instead, called him a “horrible person”.

Magistrate Edwina Rowan would determine the words said had little effect on the case.

Once Hudson had struck the victim on the chin, which left the victim bruised, the victim pulled a silver multi-tool out of his belt and told his attacker “I have a knife too”, before wishing him a good day and turning away to walk towards a vacant block near his home.

But as the victim walked away, he felt two blows to the back of his head from the blunt side of the weapon, the court heard, and staggered about 25 metres towards his back fence, falling to the ground before Hudson approached him and hit him with the tomahawk a third time.

The man started to gush blood and called triple-0.

“When police attended they identified that he had severe blood loss with an arterial bleed,” Magistrate Edwina Rowan told the court.

The man was taken to Eidsvold and Bundaberg hospitals and police later caught up with Hudson, who claimed to have punched the victim with a closed fist in self-defence.

However, the court heard medical evidence supported the victim had in fact been attacked with a blunt object.

Hudson was placed in custody before a successful bail application on January 19.

The court heard Hudson had no relevant criminal history and a written reference from his wife described him as a man who was not violent who had previously suffered a broken neck, pain and depression.

A victim impact statement, of which parts were read out to the court, revealed the victim had been left with ongoing agony.

The court heard he suffered depression, lost three teeth and still suffers headaches and balance issues, pain and insomnia, as well as issues eating, memory problems, anxiety and irrational thoughts.

The victim also termed the attack “cowardly” because he had been walking away.

“Your conduct has undermined the faith that your victim can trust in the quiet enjoyment of his neighbourhood in a small regional community, I have no evidence that you have apologised to the victim or otherwise offered any explanation,” Ms Rowan told him.

Hudson was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ prison, and must serve one third.

With 138 days of pre-sentence custody formally declared, Hudson received a parole release date of September 15.