Logan dad Brodie Christopher Smith faces Ipswich Court for terrifying road rage onslaught

A Logan tradie unleashed his fists on another driver after dragging him from his car and smashing his windscreen, in a “complete over-reaction” during a peak period of new-parent stress.

Jimboomba landscaper Brodie Christopher Smith, 25. Picture: Facebook

A Logan dad has told a Southeast Queensland court his terrifying road rage onslaught, in which he smashed a car’s windscreen and punched the driver, was an “over-reaction” due to parental stress.

Jimboomba landscaper Brodie Christopher Smith, 25, pleaded guilty on January 31 to assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage, unlawful entry of a vehicle for committing indictable offence (using actual violence), and driving without a licence.

Ipswich Magistrates’ Court heard the “road rage-type incident” occurred on October 10, 2023, on the Mount Lindesay Highway at Park Ridge South.

Magistrate Jason Schubert said Smith had “exchanged the finger” with another driver before accelerating at speed and “dangerously overtaking the victim”.

The other driver braked as a result, and both cars pulled over onto the side of the road.

Mr Schubert said Smith then “brake-checked” the victim, causing the other man to collide with Smith’s car.

The court heard Smith then approached the other car saying “I’m going to kill you c--t”.

He then hit the other car’s windscreen, smashing it, before hitting the driver’s side door and forcing it open, the court heard.

Mr Schubert said Smith “physically dragged” the other man out of his car and punched him in the head.

He said the victim grabbed Smith in self defence, and Smith punched him again in the face, causing his lip to break.

Mr Schubert noted Smith was only on his learners licence at the time.

Defence lawyer Grace Anderson accepted the incident had been “extremely exacerbated” by her client’s behaviour.

“When the two cars collided, the defendant instructs that he perceived somewhat irrationally that he had to defend himself from the driver of the other car,” she said.

“He now realises that he completely overreacted in an atrocious manner.

“He’s stated that he wants to cry when he thinks about it.”

Ms Anderson said her client had been “highly stressed and fatigued” at the time of the offending.

She explained his newborn son had been in the intensive care unit at Brisbane after being born prematurely, and Smith had been driving to the hospital to see him each day.

Ms Anderson noted he had also been taking care of the four children he shared with his partner – two which were biologically his own.

She said he regretted not being there for his newborn son, as he had been remanded in custody after this incident.

The court heard Smith had struggled with his mental health and methamphetamine addiction, which Ms Anderson said he had relapsed into at the start of 2023.

But he hoped to address those issues upon his release and reconnect with his children.

Police prosecutor Jo Colston noted Smith’s criminal history included previous entries of violence.

He had also been on a suspended sentence at the time for an incident involving obstruction of police.

Sgt Colston said that incident involved officers attending Smith’s home to execute a return to prison warrant.

She said they found Smith inside with “something taped to his penis,” which he removed after a period of negotiation.

But she said he then made an “attempt to secrete that item on his person – in his rectum” instead of handing it over.

Mr Schubert activated the one month suspended sentence relating to that incident, to run concurrent with his new sentence.

For the assault and unlawful entry, Smith was sentenced to 15 months jail.

He will be released on parole on March 15, 2024, with 107 days in presentence custody declared time-served.