Ipswich man Matthew Vassie sentenced for ‘vigilante’ attack

An Ipswich man has been sentenced after taking justice into his own hands, assaulting a man he believed had hit his daughter.

A display of ‘vigilante-type’ behaviour has landed an Ipswich man in court after he assaulted a man he believed had hit his daughter.

Rosewood man Matthew Vassie, 42, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on February 8 where he pleaded guilty to one charge of entering a dwelling with intent and one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Both charges related to an incident at Redbank Plains on May 13 last year.

The court heard Vassie’s daughter had a disagreement with her ex-partner, so Vassie attended his home to retrieve a set of knives.

The man heard banging on his front door and walked toward it, finding Vassie was already inside.

Magistrate David Shepherd said there was some discussion between the pair about the set of knives before Vassie asked the man if he had struck his daughter.

The court was told the man admitted he had indeed struck her.

Vassie punched the man in the face and the fight continued.

Later, while speaking with police, Vassie made comments such as: “If you hit my daughter, I’ll hit you.”

The man suffered “relatively minor” injuries.

Mr Shepherd said the incident was not the first time Vassie had used violence to address what he perceived to be problems.

“That sort of vigilante-type behaviour isn’t tolerated,” Mr Shepherd said.

“It’s one thing … to want to protect your family; it’s another thing to assault somebody in their own house in the process of doing so.”

He said if that sort of activity were allowed to continue, the whole “civilised system” would descend into anarchy.

“There is just no justification for it,” he said.

Despite Vassie’s legal representative arguing a fine would be a suitable punishment, Mr Shepherd said he did not accept the matter could appropriately be dealt with by fine nor a community-based order.

He sentenced Vassie to 12 months’ imprisonment with immediate parole.

Convictions were recorded.