Ben Buggy, Bronson Buggy, Callum McClay sentenced over Hawkins stabbing

Two brothers and a football mate convicted over a stabbing attack that could have killed boxer Danny Hawkins have been sentenced in a Gympie court, and the reason they attacked him finally revealed.

Supporters celebrated outside the Gympie District Court on Friday morning after three of the young men involved in a “life-changing” attack on Gympie boxer Danny Hawkins escaped further jail time.

Ben Colin Buggy, 20, Bronson Israel Buggy, 24, and Callum Robert McClay, 23, pleaded guilty on February 3, 2023 to one count each of grievous bodily harm.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus shared with the court the details of what happened on September 18, 2021 that led to Mr Hawkins being flown to Brisbane with serious injuries.

Israel Buggy, the father of Ben and Bronson, McClay and Alec Campbell Jardine, who were all involved in the incident, knew each other through football.

Mr Andronicus told the court Mr Hawkins’ wife saw Israel’s wife at a shopping centre and thought she was pregnant.

“The comment seemed to have gotten back to the defendant’s wife, who was not in fact pregnant and (there) seemed to have been some offence taken,” Mr Andronicus said.

Bronson Buggy outside the courthouse after his matter was closed on February 3, 2023.

Mr Hawkins, who was in the yard of his home with two friends and his family, received a call from Israel asking whether the comment was an insult.

Israel sent text messages to Mr Hawkins, calling him a “weak c---,” a “coward” and a “dead dog,” and the two agreed to a fight the following day but Mr Hawkins then told him to “sleep it off”.

About 30 minutes later, the five men showed up at his home; Bronson was armed with a sword and machete, McClay was wearing knuckledusters and Israel was concealing a 15cm kitchen knife while Ben and Mr Jardine were unarmed, the court heard.

Bronson stood by the gate, brandishing his weapons and yelling “I’ll cut your f---ing head off” as Israel threw punches at Mr Hawkins’ head. Ben and Bronson soon joined in on the punching.

Israel then stabbed Mr Hawkins three times in the chest with the knife, and left a laceration on his scalp.

The court heard Mr Hawkins would have died of blood loss if he was not airlifted immediately.

Ben Buggy outside the Gympie courthouse before his sentencing on February 3, 2023

Israel had encouraged the other parties to join him after they were all drinking at the races, the court heard.

The weapons were already inside his car when the four men entered the vehicle.

Ben, Bronson and Mr McClay were not aware of the knife, the court heard.

“It doesn’t take much to realise it was an appalling and bad idea,” Judge Glenn Cash said.

When police arrested the group, they found evidence regarding cannabis transactions and one for cocaine on McClay’s phone as well as cannabis seedlings in his room.

Mutters rose from the public gallery as Mr Andronicus said Mr Hawkins “suffers daily” from the incident and his boxing career was stalled, now requiring medical clearance for matches.

Defence barrister Simone Bain told the court McClay worked as a steel fitter on bridges and had the support of his family and partner to recover from his previous drug use.

Bronson Buggy and Callum Robert McClay talk outside the Gympie courthouse on February 3, 2023.

Whispers arose from the public gallery as Judge Cash announced no one would be going to jail.

Ben and Bronson were each sentenced to two and a half years jail, suspended after six months for three years.

McClay was sentenced to three years imprisonment suspended after six months for four years. He was also put on probation for two years.

All three spent about six months in jail between September, 2021 and March, 2022.

McClay additionally pleaded guilty to 11 counts of supplying drugs, one count of using a thing in connection with supplying drugs, one of producing cannabis, one of possessing cannabis, one of possessing utensils used for drugs, and one count of possessing property suspected of being used in a crime.