Jackson Henare, 33, from Flinders View in Ipswich court for assaulting police officer, security guard

An unlicensed driver has punched a man in the face and slapped his wife in a major Brisbane shopping centre carpark in a shocking road rage-type incident.

A shameful temper tantrum got the better of an unlicensed driver who got mad after believing he’d been cut off by another driver in a shopping centre car park.

Jackson Henare followed the car at a Carindale shopping centre before punching the driver in the head and slapping the man’s wife in her face.

The assaults on the couple, both aged in their 50s, was described as being a road rage-type incident when Henare went before Ipswich Magistrates Court for sentence.

He should not have been driving as his licence was suspended due to demerit points.

And in a hotel incident some weeks before at Springfield, the court heard Henare assaulted a police officer and a hotel security guard.

Jackson Tony Henare, 33, from Flinders View, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault – on a police officer and a security guard at Springfield on August 15, 2020; failing to leave licensed premises when directed; obstructing police; two charges of assault causing bodily harm at Westfield Carindale on November 21 last year; and driving when licence suspended (demerits) on November 21.

Prosecutor, Sergeant Molinaro said Henare was behind the wheel of a black Nissan Murano in the car park of Westfield Carindale.

And while driving in a left entry lane another driver came across in front of him in the right entry lane.

“He believed he was cut off,” Sgt Molinaro said.

Henare followed the car and when it stopped he went over and punched the driver twice in the face.

When the driver’s wife got out of the car and tried to stop the scuffle Henare slapped the left side of her face.

Henare’s partner intervened to get him to return to their vehicle.

Sgt Molinaro said that three months before that incident Henare was charged after he assaulted both a security guard and a police officer at the Orion hotel in Springfield.

Henare grabbed the guard’s shirt and would not let go and used his left fist to punch the guard in the face.

He had also grabbed the officer’s shirt and there had been pushing and shoving.

“He seems to have poor anger management and control,” Sgt Molinaro said.

Defence lawyer Emily Fackender sought a probation order of between 12 and 15 months as an appropriate penalty.

“The circumstances there is really no excuse for his behaviour, he said that to me,” Ms Fackender said.

“In August he was at a family 18th birthday party and drank too much and was asked to leave.

“He behaved extremely badly. Instructs that he barely drinks now.”

Ms Fackender said there were no excuses for his behaviour in the car park which had been “atrocious,” with Henare very remorseful.

Around that time some relatives had died with Henare unable to return to New Zealand for the funerals. He’d also lost his job.

“The offences were a wake-up call and out of character. He has cut back his drinking and quit smoking,” she said.

“Has gone back to fitness and is working.”

Magistrate Andy Cridland said the car park assaults could be viewed as road rage, punching the man through an open car window then slapping his wife in the face.

“Behaving this way, it is totally unacceptable,” he said.

Mr Cridland warned Henare that any of the assaults could have brought him a jail term.

“These are serious offences. You need to consider where you are heading,” he said.

Henare was convicted and sentenced to a supervised 18-month probation order.