Gympie dad bashes teen with metal bar

When the teen tried to flee, he chased him down and left him cut, bruised and with a gash on his head that needed five stitches

Raymond Griffiths was in Gympie Magistrates Court on Monday.

A GYMPIE father of three who bashed a teenager with a metal bar has narrowly avoided time behind bars on account of his family.

On Boxing Day last year Raymond Barry Griffiths was called by a friend of his nephew, who said the youth was bickering with others at the skate park and "in trouble".

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lisa Manns told the court the 27-year-old Griffiths jumped in the car and drove to the park.

Once there he took a two-piece metal car jack from the boot and confronted and then kicked the 16-year-old victim.

The Youth Precinct at Nelson Reserve, juts one week before completion.

The teenager fought back, and Griffiths retaliated by striking him with one of the bars.

When the teen tried to flee, Griffiths chased, catching up with him and leaving him cut, bruised and with a gash on his head that needed five stitches.

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Griffiths' solicitor Tim Campion told the court his client, a tree lopper with children aged from 10 months to 8 years, "had been having a few drinks when he got the call".

He took the metal bars from the boot for protection when he saw a "melee" of more than 20 teenagers.

Legalities of tying the knot.

"He immediately thought they were going to give his nephew … a hiding," Mr Campion said.

However, Magistrate Chris Callaghan pointed out the problem was "in a one-on-one fight he's used (the bars)".

Mr Callaghan said the community "has got to denounce people taking the law into their own hands", which was what Griffiths did, instead of removing his nephew from the park.

"You fought, (the teenager) struck you and you used a metal bar to strike him," Mr Callaghan said.

Gympie Magistrates Court, Channon Street, Gympie August 11, 2015.

And this crime came on top of a history littered with charges of assault, grievous bodily harm and domestic violence order breaches, he said.

Griffiths, who pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a weapon, was slapped with a nine month jail sentence. but released on parole immediately because of the need to earn an income and support his three children.

He was also ordered to pay $750 in compensation, was barred him from contacting the victim,

and banned from going near the skate park until February 2022.

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