Michael Dabron jailed for assaulting Yaralla Sports Club patron

A pensioner has been jailed for his brutal “ambush” assault of another pensioner after the pair were involved in an altercation at a Central Queensland sports club.

Michael Edward Dabron, 66, was jailed for an ambush assault of another man not long after he left Gladstone's Yaralla Sports Club.

A pensioner has been jailed for his “ambush” assault of another pensioner after the pair were involved in an altercation at a Gladstone sports club.

Michael Edward Dabron, 66, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to serious assault of a person over 60 and wilful damage.

The court heard that about 6.40pm on September 22 last year, Dabron was at Yaralla Sports Club when he got into an argument with another male patron, a 62-year-old disability pensioner.

Police prosecutor Katarina Pollard said Dabron then “called the (other man) out to fight”.

Ms Pollard said staff asked Dabron to leave the sports club and he complied.

The prosecutor said about three minutes later, the disability pensioner also left the club and as he walked out of the venue, he was accompanied by a staff member who checked to see that Dabron was not outside.

“The (disability pensioner) started walking home towards the bowls club,” Ms Pollard said.

“Upon getting to the bowls club, (Dabron) appeared and a physical altercation occurred.

“(Dabron) punched the (other man) in the face around three times, causing his glasses to fall to the ground.

“The (other man) fell to the ground and (Dabron) kicked him in the ribs several times.

“(Dabron) also stood on the (other man’s) glasses and ground them into the bitumen, causing the frame to break and the lenses to come out.”

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court heard the disability pensioner sustained facial bruising, his face was bleeding and he had blood on his shirt when he returned to the sports club and spoke to staff there - they called police.

Ms Pollard said the next day, Dabron sent an email to Yaralla Sports Club saying he wasn’t proud of what he had done and his “intention was to talk but it didn’t end up that way.”

The prosecutor said when Dabron was questioned by police, he told them that after he left Yaralla Sports Club he waited near the bowls club and saw the disability pensioner approach.

“(Dabron) had acknowledged that it was wrong to wait behind and (he) was still agitated by the altercation inside the club,” Ms Pollard said.

The court heard the disability pensioner had suffered severe and ongoing medical problems since the assault.

It was told Dabron had New South Wales and Queensland criminal histories, both which included “dated” previous offences of violence.

In relation to the incident inside Yaralla Sports Club, solicitor Jun Pepito said Dabron had initially got into an argument with a different man before the disability pensioner intervened.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan pointed out that Dabron then turned his attention to the disability pensioner.

Mr Pepito said Dabron accepted the situation “could have been done a better way.”

“This incident could have been avoided if he (Dabron) had just gone back home,” Mr Pepito said.

He said Dabron, a pensioner, had previously worked as an electrician and a traffic controller.

During sentencing, Magistrate Buchanan described this as an “ambush” attack that was not provoked.

Ms Buchanan noted that Dabron had done a record of interview with police and there was “some co-operation”, but she said that interview was “mostly self-serving.”

She sentenced Dabron to 10 months’ jail with parole release on April 19, 2025.

Convictions were recorded.