Corey James Gavin pleads guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm
A Hervey Bay man who fled the scene after assaulting a security guard in a hotel’s gaming room has learnt his fate in court.
Police & Courts
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A Hervey Bay man who coward punched a security guard during an altercation in a hotel gaming room as learnt his fate in court.
Corey James Gavin pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Monday, January 13, to one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm after an incident at the Hervey Bay Hotel on June 7, 2024.
The 43-year-old entered the gaming room of the hotel where he had a verbal altercation with another patron, Police Prosecutor Sergeant Kim Harwood told the court.
The victim of the assault, a security guard at the hotel, attempted to intervene and restrain Gavin, but was set upon by an unknown offender.
As he was trying to deal with this matter, Gavin punched him from behind, striking him in the left eye.
The assault caused swelling to the back of his head, a swollen lip, and a cut inside his mouth.
Gavin left the premises immediately after the attack, however police located him when staff members of the hotel identified the attacker on CCTV footage.
Sergeant Harwood described the attack as “callous” after presenting the facts to Magistrate Trinity McGarvie.
Gavin has prior assault history from 2021, and was also convicted and sentenced to a term of probation for another assault occasioning bodily harm charge.
His defence lawyer, Virginia Ukpabi of Geldard-Sherrington Lawyers, argued a suspended sentence or immediate parole would be a suitable punishment after providing examples of similar cases.
He has been diagnosed with depression and is receiving medical intervention for the condition.
“This security guard was just doing their job,” Magistrate McGarvie told Gavin.
“You hit that security guard in a way that was cowardly, from behind, without him being able to see the assault was going to occur.”
Gavin was sentenced to 12 months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of 18 months.
A conviction was recorded.
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