Abraham Isaac Saylor pleads guilty to assault causing bodily harm while armed

A heavily drug-affected man burst into a services club at dinner time, raiding the kitchen and injuring two people with knives.

Patrons were tucking into dinner at a popular services club when a man in the grips of ice addiction bust into the room and demanded staff to call police.

An Ipswich court this week heard mayhem erupted inside the Goodna Services Club, with Abraham Saylor throwing a glass and running into the kitchen to grab two knives.

The bizarre incident ended with a staff member wounded and an off-duty security officer injured.

Abraham Isaac Saylor, 28, from Redbank Plains, this week pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court to assault causing bodily harm when armed with an offensive implement on Thursday May 6; serious assault of a person aged 60 or over; driving when disqualified by demerit points at Kingston on May 4; breach of a suspended sentence; and breaching a community services work order.

The community service order had been imposed in Rockhampton for alcohol fuelled offences, the court heard.

Saylor appeared from jail via video-link for sentence.

Prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull provided eight photos showing injuries suffered by the victims.

No agreed police facts were read onto the public record about the incidents.

Goodna Services Club was the scene of a violent outburst by a man badly affected by ice.

Sgt Turnbull said only that Saylor armed himself with a knife and caused an injury to a person that wasn’t trivial in nature.

Defence barrister Terry Strong said Saylor had a concerning criminal history and his partner of more than nine years “is very disappointed that he’s back in custody”.

Mr Strong said the father of two had been employed in earthmoving but sadly relapsed back into the use of ice.

“For a few months he was heavily under the influence. It is no excuse for his condition,” he said.

“He is very aware that the drug ice is effectively his nemesis and that he needs to stop using.

“While in custody he has put on weight and feels healthy.

“Unfortunately when addicted he makes terrible decisions and gets into trouble.”

Magistrate Andy Cridland put the missing police facts about his criminal behaviour that night on the public record, saying the police photos showed injuries to one victim with wounds to his arm.

He said the assaults took place at the Goodna Services Club at 6.15pm after Saylor arrived at the front counter and demanded that staff call police.

A man attacked several people during a disturbing episode at Goodna Services Club.

The court heard Saylor would not sign into the club then walked into the dining room yelling out for staff to call the police.

Mr Cridland said a man and a staff worker approached him but Saylor refused to leave and continued to yell out.

The man, who was an off duty security officer, returned to his table while staff unsuccessfully tried to remove Saylor who was “yelling nonsensically”.

Mr Cridland said Saylor armed himself with two drinking glasses and threw one that struck a 63-year-old man in his stomach.

The court heard Saylor ran into the kitchen and picked up two knives, then ran into the storeroom where staff were preparing food.

During a physical altercation one male was hit by the knife in the left forearm and hand.

Saylor ran back to the kitchen where he was tackled to the floor by another male.

Mr Cridland said Saylor’s prior convictions included a suspended six month jail order in 2020 for two charges of assault when adversely affected, and a 3 ½ year jail term in 2017 for robbery with violence.

“Your criminal history does you no favours,” Mr Cridland said.

“This type of behaviour is not acceptable. People were attending eating meals, enjoying themselves.”

Saylor was convicted and sentenced to two concurrent 18-month jail orders with parole release after he serves eight months.

With over three months already spent in custody he will be released on January 5.