Jamie Desmond Masters guilty of dangerous driving after accelerating towards group in Calliope

A Central Queensland man accelerated towards a group before slamming the brakes to intimidate them after another man threatened to fight him for speaking to his child.

Jamie Masters pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Tuesday January 17. Picture: Supplied

A Central Queensland father threatened to run a group over with his car before doing a ‘bunny hop’ after a man wanted to fight him for speaking to his kids.

Jamie Desmond Masters pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle following an incident near Gladstone late last year.

The court heard that Masters yelled “get out of the way before I f***ing run you over” to a group before performing a ‘bunny hop’ manoeuvre they reasonably believed could have resulted in the vehicle hitting them.

After finishing his shift at a cattle station, he travelled to Calliope about 7pm on Saturday December 3 to attend a party but had problems locating the precise address.

The 34 year old then spoke to a group of kids who were walking along the road telling them to get off the street at night.

Masters then parked his car a short distance away and was followed by one of the children’s father who allegedly wanted to fight him over his comments.

Police prosecutor Tania Griffiths told the court Masters took his hat and shirt off after exiting his Toyota Land Cruiser and was willing to fight the man.

Both men were yelling causing neighbours to come outside and inspect the noise before telling Masters to go away and go home.

Sergeant Griffiths said witnesses told police Masters was inside his vehicle about 5m away from the group standing in the middle of the road when he told them to move.

He then accelerated harshly before slamming the brakes, causing the LandCruiser to ‘bunny hop’, stopping about 1m away from the closest person.

Masters then reversed the car, steering it sharply and causing it to mount the kerb and crush a small tree, before driving away from the scene.

Defence lawyer Rio Ramos said her client felt intimidated as a group of neighbours surrounded his car after he reversed it onto the street which prompted his action.

Ms Ramos said her client, a father of two, accepted he should have just left and it was a silly thing to do but he had no self-control in the moment.

She told acting Magistrate Mary Buchanan her client had no intention of actually hitting the group and wanted them to get out of his way.

Masters was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Tuesday and received a fine as well as a suspended license.

Acting Magistrate Buchanan fined him $1500 and suspended him from obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.

A conviction was recorded.