Callum McClay accused of stabbing Danny Hawkins denied bail

A startling new claim about the stabbing of Gympie boxer Danny Hawkins has emerged as one of the five accused makes a spirited bid to be out of jail for Christmas.

A still from the video played in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday. The moment Gympie dad Danny Hawkins was allegedly stabbed during a confrontation at his Parsons Rd property.

One of five men charged over the stabbing of Gympie boxer Danny Hawkins earlier this year has failed in his second bid to get released from prison on bail.

This is after a lawyer for Callum McClay, 22, claimed Mr Hawkins had ‘somewhat consented’ to the fight which left him fighting for life.

Mr McClay applied for bail at the Gympie Magistrate Court on Monday but was told he was an unacceptable risk.

He had been in custody since he was arrested and charged with acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm.

The police prosecutor Melissa Campbell played a video of the events of that day on September 18, 2021, providing several zoomed-in screenshots of Mr McClay pulling a pair of “knuckle dusters” out of his pocket and putting them on.

The video shows Mr McClay appearing to stand in a black button up shirt.

His defence lawyer told the court Mr McClay had been in possession of a weapon but did not participate in any physical violence that day.

He also told magistrate Chris Callaghan that Mr McClay had not been aware there were going to be weapons that day until he got out of the car and saw one of the other members of the group holding a large machete.

Mr Callaghan asked Mr McClay if he always kept knuckle dusters in his pocket.

A still from the video played in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday.

The defence lawyer told the court there had been an earlier text message exchange where Mr McClay claimed the owner of the house where the fight occurred had “somewhat consented to the fight”.

The alleged attack occurred when the victim was at home building a cubby house with his two children.

“The bloke who’s house it was consented to a fight with people pulling knives in front of his children?” Mr Callaghan asked.

Mr McClay offered the court surety, including drug testing, to wear an ankle bracelet, and to live at one of two addresses.

However, Mr Callaghan said the court would refuse to grant bail unless Mr McClay could prove his position in custody was not justified.

“He has to show me he’s not at risk of committing further offences,” he said.
The Magistrate recognised that Mr McClay had not inflicted any damage but refused to accept he had no knowledge of the weapons.

A still from the video played in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday.