Leonard Daniel Weller in court for DV assault

A former Gympie builder and beekeeper convicted of the ‘horrific assault’ of his defenceless daughter has tasted life behind bars.

Gympie beekeeper Leonard Daniel Weller, 83 of the Southside, faced Gympie Magistrates Court in custody as he pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, a domestic violence offence.

An 83-year-old grandfather of six has been handed a jail term for the vicious bashing of his own daughter over a felled tree at a Gympie property.

Leonard Daniel Weller, of the Southside, faced Gympie Magistrates Court in custody as he pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, a domestic violence offence.

Police prosecutor Mel Campbell told the court Weller had started “punching and kicking” his 59-year-old daughter in the face while she was on the ground and “unable to defend herself”.

“(The victim) did nothing to justify such a horrific assault,” Sgt Campbell said.

Defence lawyer Chris Anderson told the court the inciting incident had been the felling of a 30-year-old tree grown by Weller.

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Leonard Daniel Weller was sentenced to 12 months’ jail, to be suspended for 18 months after serving 74 days in custody on remand.

The 83-year-old had assigned blame to his wife, which led to an argument and ultimately the November 3, 2023 assault on the belief that the victim “had arranged for someone to come in and cut it down”.

The court heard Weller was a former builder and beekeeper who had largely stopped working three or four years ago.

He now suffered from “a number of ailments” including lung issues from smoking his entire life.

Weller was also hard of hearing and his hearing aid was only working intermittently during his court appearance on Tuesday.

He had no previous criminal history.

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Magistrate Bevan Hughes condemned Weller for the “horrific assault” on his daughter, noting the community abhorred domestic violence and violence against women.

He sentenced the 83-year-old to 12 months’ jail, ordering his release on the same day due to 74 days already served in custody on remand.

The remainder of the jail term was suspended for 18 months.