Ty Hopton-Knight jailed at Gladstone for Mieplace Niteclub bashing

A young Central Queensland man has been jailed after a nightclub bashing which left his much older victim with serious head injuries including brain bleeding and a skull fracture.

Ty James Hopton-Knight was jailed in the District Court at Gladstone.

A young Central Queensland man responsible for a violent nightclub bashing was in tears after being sentenced to actual jail time while his family watched from the court’s public gallery.

Ty James Hopton-Knight, 25, was sentenced in the District Court at Gladstone after pleading guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm.

The court heard that about 10.15pm on January 19, Hopton-Knight met the victim, a 51-year-old man, outside Mieplace Niteclub.

It was told the pair spoke, shook hands, and then started pushing each other.

Hopton-Knight then started punching the victim in the head and upper body, while the victim threw no punches.

A friend of Hopton-Knight’s stood between the pair and held the victim, the court heard.

Hopton-Knight then reached over his friend to punch the victim once to the face, knocking him to the ground, before running away.

Other people went to the victim’s aid and he was taken to hospital with “quite significant” head injuries including brain bleeding and a skull fracture, the court was told.

On February 5 when police interviewed Hopton-Knight, he told them when the pair shook hands, the victim said that he “had soft girl hands.”

Ty James Hopton-Knight.

Hopton-Knight further stated he thought the victim was going to hit him, so he punched the victim in the face.

Hopton-Knight also told police he was “heavily intoxicated” at the time.

The court heard Hopton-Knight had a two-page criminal history which included minor drug offending but no previous convictions for violence.

Barrister Scott Moon said this offending was “out of character” for Hopton-Knight.

“His criminal history does not dictate a person who resorts to violence at all and it (offending) was alcohol related, which doesn’t make it any excuse and does not make it any better,” Mr Moon said.

Mr Moon said Hopton-Knight did not have any mental health issues, nor did he have “any drug issues to speak of”.

At that point Judge Vicki Loury interjected and said: “Really? What about his criminal history? It suggests otherwise doesn’t it?”

Mr Moon clarified: “Presently, sorry Your Honour, sorry I should have made that clear - presently he has no drug issues.”

It was not heard during the sentencing, but just last month this publication reported that Hopton-Knight pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on August 19 to drug driving after police busted him behind the wheel with both methamphetamine and cannabis in his system.

For that traffic offence he was fined $550 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Mieplace Niteclub in Gladstone Central.

Mr Moon said Hopton-Knight had not committed any criminal offences since 2019.

He said Hopton-Knight was born in Gladstone and grew up there, and was not currently working having lost his job as a hotel maintenance worker as a result of this offending.

The court heard Hopton-Knight had expressed remorse, particularly to his mother, for this offending.

Mr Moon said the victim’s injuries had “abated on their own.”

Judge Loury responded, stating the victim was treated in hospital.

During sentencing on September 12, Judge Loury said Hopton-Knight’s offending was “a very serious example of alcohol-fuelled violence in a public place.”

“The complainant, it seems, made a comment about your hands and you launched an attack on him,” Judge Loury said.

“Once your associate stood between you, the complainant was no threat to you at all - indeed he hadn’t thrown any punches in any event.

“You struck a single, heavy blow to him which caused very serious head injuries - it is really by luck that he was not more seriously injured.

“And you ran away without providing him any help at all.

“Alcohol-fuelled violence in a public place by young men is something that our community will not tolerate and deterrence, both general and personal, looms large in the exercise of my discretion, as does community denunciation.”

Judge Loury noted that as a result of the assault, the victim had lost work, was worried about his life and whether he had seizures, and experienced sleepless nights.

“... I consider that you (Hopton-Knight) ought to serve some period in actual custody but I will reduce that period to take into account your early plea and your remorse,” she said.

Judge Loury sentenced Hopton-Knight to 18 months’ jail and ordered parole release on January 11, 2025.

“Which will see you serving a period of four months - you will then be on parole for 14 months.”