Aaron Andrew Channell sentenced for sickening assault of a police officer which left him fighting for life

After Gladstone man Aaron Andrew Channell brutally assaulted Sergeant Wayne Butcher on a November night in 2020, the popular police officer’s life has not been the same since. But his attacker will pay dearly for his crime.

A Gladstone man whose sickening assault of a police officer in November 2020 proved near-fatal, will spend the next nine months behind bars.

Aaron Andrew Channel’s attack on Sergeant Wayne Butcher, the twin brother of Gladstone MP and Minister Glenn Butcher, forced the former to develop a life-threatening blood clot in his throat.

Channell, 24, pleaded guilty to five charges in the Gladstone District Court on Tuesday, September 7, including serious assault of a police officer causing bodily harm and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle while adversely intoxicated.

On November 28, 2020, around 11pm, Sergeant Butcher and his partner responded to a dispatch call regarding a Holden ute with a deflated tyre driving on the Dawson Highway at 100km/hr in a 60 zone.

Upon their arrival on scene, Channell was seen walking away from his heavily damaged car.

While the officers were arresting Channell, he punched Sergeant Butcher in the side of his head and started abusing both officers.

Aaron Andrew Channell.

Capsicum spray proved useless against Channell, as he threw another flurry of punches which struck Butcher to the side of his neck and throat which caused him to fall to the ground.

Channell’s onslaught continued when he punched Sergeant Butcher’s partner in the mouth before a third officer arrived and intervened. He later refused to be interviewed by police.

Sergeant Butcher’s victim impact statement, which was read to the court, detailed the draining mental and physical health fallout of Channell’s attack.

“The constant threat of doing anything which could virtually kill me made me feel I was freaking out all the time and it was, ‘Is this it?’. Do you know what this does to a person’s mental health?” Mr Butcher said.

“I have eventually returned to work after five months but been advised I will be on blood thinners and aspirin for the rest of my life.

“This is so unfair and all due to the actions of Mr Channell, who has changed my life forever.

“I will not let the actions of Mr Channell destroy me as a person, I just hope Mr Channell realises that one can kill or wreck someone's life.”

Gladstone Police Sergeant Wayne Butcher.

Prosecutor Evan O’Hanlon said there simply must be protection of police officers from violent assaults while performing their duties.

“Mr Channell is someone who simply continues to abuse and assault police in complete disregard for their authority,” he said.

“Sergeant Butcher was in serious danger of losing his life to the blood clot which resulted from the assault and he is lucky to be here.”

Defence lawyer Tom Polley said that on the night of Channel’s offending, alcohol was the problem.

“He was intoxicated but not to the point that he otherwise has been,” Mr Polley said.

“He can’t otherwise explain his actions other than he received a call from his partner who was in distress and while intoxicated my client made the stupid decision to drive and help her.

“He has asked me to apologise through the court to the police officer.”

In sentencing, Judge Jeffrey Clarke said Channell’s attack on Sergeant Butcher had an incredibly far-reaching and negative impact on him.

“Your attack was violent, unpredictable, extensive and has had far-reaching consequences,” he said.

Channell was convicted and sentenced to a head sentence of four and a half years imprisonment, with a parole release date of May 26, 2022. Convictions were recorded.