Antoine Colin Anderson pleads guilty to assault causing bodily harm

Paramedics were called to an outback Queensland birthday party after an Ipswich guest began punching a man when he asked if anyone there was gay, Ipswich Magistrates Court heard.

An Ipswich man has been given a jail term for an assault at an outback Queensland party.

A guest at a backyard birthday party took unexpected offence when the host asked if anyone attending the event was gay.

A court this week heard that with no provocation, the out-of-town guest suddenly punched the resident in his face and neck with a clenched fist.

After being taken away from the scene by friends, the Ipswich man later returned and threw more punches.

Appearing from jail via video-link before Ipswich Magistrates Court for sentence, Antoine Colin Anderson, 20, pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm on Saturday April 3; two charges of common assault; evasion of police on August 11, 2020; and failing to attend court.

In facts put before the court by prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull, Anderson was at a birthday party at Charleville when he committed the assaults.

He said Anderson was now serving jail time for other offences after being sentenced earlier this year.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said there had been an unacceptable delay in charging Anderson with the evasion offence and it could have been finalised with his earlier matters in February.

She said he had been sentenced to an 18-month jail term for offences including five counts of unlawful use of motor vehicles and stealing.

For the offence of evading police Anderson was sentenced to 50 days jail and disqualified from driving for two years.

She then placed on the public record the police facts about the three assaults.

Ms Sturgess said Anderson went to the birthday party with friends, and while in the yard a man had asked if there was “anyone gay” at the party.

“You took offence and punched Mr White several times to the face and throat and he fell to the ground,” Ms Sturgess said.

“You said that’s what you get”.

After his friends took Anderson away from the scene, Ms Sturgess said police facts state he had returned and ran toward the complainant with a clenched fist and punched him to the collarbone.

When a second male tried to intervene, Anderson punched him to the neck with a closed fist.

An ambulance crew was called to the scene with the first man treated by paramedics for pain.

He later reported that he had difficulty swallowing for some days afterwards.

“Clearly this was not a normal reaction to someone making a comment and for you to react this way and punching him,” Ms Sturgess said.

“Then after friends took you away you came back and punched him and his friend.

“It is not normal behaviour even if you felt offended in some way, it is not the way to behave.”

Ms Sturgess said that although he was only 20, Anderson had a concerning criminal history that included assault causing bodily harm, stealing, five counts of unlawful use, and burglary.

Anderson was sentenced to nine months jail for the assault causing bodily harm; four months jail for the two assaults, and an additional 14 days for failing to appear at court.

He is able to immediately begin making his application for parole, a process that will take many months due to lengthy delays in processing applications.