Lachlan Anderson in court for coward kicking good Samaritan

A 19-year-old aspiring builder has pleaded guilty after a “coward” attack where an innocent bystander was ganged up on after trying to defend two young girls from unwanted advances.

A 19-year-old Gympie man has fronted court over a violent coward attack in Gympie’s CBD, after he and a teen who can’t be named were seen on CCTV harassing two young girls.

Lachlan Anderson pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to four charges, including two of driving with methamphetamine in his system, assault occasioning bodily harm and public nuisance.

The court heard the assault occasioning bodily harm and public nuisance offences were connected to an attack outside Gympie’s Cullinanes Plaza on October 30, 2021.

Anderson and his friend, a juvenile who the court heard had already been dealt with, followed two young girls, aged 15 and 16, down Mary St at 3.30pm.

Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said the duo was harassing the girls and catcalling them.

Lachlan Anderson pleaded guilty to four charges, including public nuisance and assault occasioning bodily harm after a violent attack on a good Samaritan in Gympie’s CBD. Photo: Facebook

“The defendant and his friend were hounding the girls and making remarks about their appearance, saying words to the effects of: ‘you’ve got a nice arse, why don’t you date me?’,” she said.

CCTV footage from Mary St showed the two offenders pointing and yelling at the young girls, the court heard.

The girls were so terrified, they called the police and sought refuge in the plaza which was being closed for the weekend.

Outside, a man at a nearby ATM who witnessed Anderson and his friend making the young girls uncomfortable, attempted to intervene.

He was seen on CCTV making a shooing motion and telling the pair to leave the girls alone.

Sgt Campbell said the two offenders then aggressively approached the man, yelling at him and trying to intimidate him.

The two young girls, aged 15 and 16-years-old, hid in Cullinanes Plaza in Mary St after being subject to harassment and catcalling by Anderson and his young friend.

“The victim puts his fists up as he is backed into a corner … the defendant cuts off the victim’s escape by moving to the left,” she said.

Suddenly, Anderson’s young friend and the man were engaged in wrestle on the roadway, though Anderson soon joined in.

“While the victim and the defendant’s friend are on the ground wrestling, the defendant coward kicked the victim to the head ten times, circling around the wrestle, kicking them as they were on the ground,” Sgt Campbell told the court.

“Bystanders arrived to stop the assault, and in their presence the defendant has kicked the victim to his left side of the abdomen.”

The two attackers left the scene before police arrived, though Anderson was arrested at his family home more than a week later on November 8.

Gympie Magistrates Court heard the good Samaritan was “coward kicked” to the head ten times during an attack from Anderson and his juvenile co-accused.

Defence lawyer Chris Anderson did not offer any submissions in relation to the alleged attack.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan said the charges relating to the Mary St assault would be stood down, and requested a victim impact statement from the victim.

Mr Anderson said in relation to the drug driving charges, his client was doing a Certificate III in civil construction and that his methamphetamine use was “recreational” rather than an addiction.

Anderson was sentenced to $300 and disqualified from driving for six months for the drug driving offences, and a conviction was not recorded.

He will return to Gympie Magistrates Court on July 4 for part-heard sentence on the other charges.