Ipswich tradie Shane Medcraft fronts Ipswich Court for domestic violence party assault

An Ipswich magistrate told a repeat violent offender that the only place for him is a jail cell, after a court heard the horrors he inflicted on multiple women at a birthday party earlier this year.

Shane Glen Oscar Medcraft, 35. Picture: Facebook/ Shane Medcraft

An Ipswich tradie’s drunken outburst at a party turned into a violent rampage as he repeatedly threw his partner into walls and ripped out the earrings of a friend who intervened.

North Ipswich boilermaker Shane Glen Oscar Medcraft, 35, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on August 25 to assault occasioning bodily harm (DV), common assault, assault police officer, wilful damage, and wilfully damage property without consent causing a loss of $250 or less.

The court heard Medcraft had been arguing with an individual at a birthday party in Raceview on May 27.

When his partner tried to intervene, he unleashed his anger on her instead.

Magistrate Kathleen Payne said the couple moved to a bedroom, where Medcraft threw the woman against the wall several times.

The impact left large holes in the walls of the house, which the court heard was a housing commission home.

Ms Payne said Medcraft then threw his partner three or four times into a glass greenhouse outside, smashing the glass.

The court heard he called her a “bikie sl*t” and then physically assaulted her.

She suffered bruising to her head and arms, as well as swelling to her eye, a chipped front tooth, and a gash inside her mouth.

The court heard a friend of Medcraft’s partner tried to intervene, but Medcraft grabbed her by the shirt.

Ms Payne said he had pulled the shirt off with enough force that it ripped her earrings out of her ear.

Medcraft also hit the bedroom window, causing glass to shatter through the bedroom.

He further pushed a police officer onto the bed when they tried to intervene.

Ms Payne told Medcraft he should be “so ashamed” of his actions.

“When you behave in that manner, the only place for you is prison,” she said.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Bridie O‘Shea noted Medcraft had a violent criminal history.

The court heard had been on parole at the time of this offending for a home-invasion style offence, in which Medcraft had assaulted the victim with a hammer.

Medcraft had previously received prison sentences for a dangerous driving incident which caused an individual grievous bodily harm in 2016, and multiple assaults.

These included an incident in 2010 where he kicked a fellow inmate in the face, and another in 2009 where he left a stranger in the middle of the road after kicking him unconscious.

“This defendant could be described as a seriously violent person with absolutely no regard for the safety and welfare of others,” Senior Constable O’Shea said.

Defence lawyer Matthew Fairclough said his client struggled with methamphetamine addiction.

However, he noted alcohol was the primary influence on this occasion.

Mr Fairclough said Medcraft had a daughter, who was born recently while he was incarcerated in July.

He said his client hoped to have a relationship with her upon his release and return to work as a boilermaker.

Mr Fairclough noted Medcraft was now serving the remainder of the sentence for which he had been on parole for, which would not finish until March, 2024.

The sentence imposed today would need to be cumulative, and Mr Fairclough suggested Ms Payne should reduce that sentence to ensure it wasn’t overly crushing upon his client.

Ms Payne told Medcraft: “Your record is appalling. You’ve had multiple occasions to learn from your errors, and you persist in very violent offending on vulnerable members of the community.”

“You get no benefit from the fact you were intoxicated, because you chose to drink; you choose the consequences.”

Taking into account the sentence Medcraft was already serving, Ms Payne reduced the head sentence she would have otherwise imposed to 14 months, with immediate parole eligibility.

Medcraft’s three months in presentence custody were taken into account but not formally declared time-served.