Jack Parks sentenced after driving into couple in love triangle drama

What started as two blokes exchanging heated words over a girl via Facebook Messenger, turned into real-life danger when one showed up at the other’s Queensland home.

Jack Wallace Parks was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court for charges including driving without due care and attention.

A Central Queensland man who drove his car into two people after an angry exchange online has been punished in court for his crime.

Jack Wallace Parks, 25, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Wednesday to trespass, two counts of common assault and driving without due care and attention.

The court heard the drama started when Parks and the male victim exchanged heated words about a girl on Facebook Messenger.

Parks then took things further when he went to the other man’s Gladstone residence on Aramac Drive and there was a heated confrontation while the latter’s partner was also present.

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said Parks had put his hand on the woman’s chest and pushed her backwards - he also clenched his fist and charged at the other man.

The court heard that while Parks was attempting to leave the couple’s residence in his car, he drove towards the pair who were standing in their driveway, striking both of them which caused injury, but nothing serious.

The court was told the prosecution accepted Parks drove recklessly but that he did not intend to harm either complainant.

Jack Wallace Parks.

Parks had a one-page traffic history, no criminal history and after this incident he had been suspended from driving since last October.

Solicitor Sophie-Lee Oliver said Parks was a diesel fitter who had struggled with his mental health “for some time” and he was medicated for that.

“As a result of childhood trauma, stemming from a combination of the loss of his mother at a very young age, and a car accident that injured his step mum,” Ms Oliver said.

She said Parks had gone to the Aramac Drive residence to speak with the male victim after the two of them had engaged in “some heated discussions over Facebook Messenger about his relationship with (the male victim’s) ex-partner.”

“He (Parks) instructs he was agitated and not in the right state of mind, and with the benefit of hindsight, concedes that his attendance at all, was foolish and his behaviour was not appropriate,” Ms Oliver said.

“As for the driving charge, he states he was quite distracted by the altercation with the complainant and accepts that he made a very careless decision when leaving the property, which did cause injury to the two complainants.

“He instructs he is remorseful for his actions towards both (of them) and for his careless driving.”

Prior to sentencing, Magistrate Mary Buchanan said this was a “pretty serious example” of driving without due care and attention.

She placed Parks on 18 months’ probation and disqualified him from driving for six months.