Matthew John Nicholas faces Ipswich Court for assaulting drinking buddy in Rosewood

An Ipswich man was beaten, kicked and put into a chokehold by his drinking buddy, whose “chronic over-reaction” to an argument turned into a brutal drunken rampage, a court has heard.

Matthew John Nicholas, 37, leaves Ipswich Court on May 14, 2024. picture: Nicola McNamara

An Ipswich man has faced court for his “chronic over-reaction” to a drunken argument in which he put his drinking buddy into a chokehold after punching and kicking him until he could not stand.

Matthew John Nicholas, 37, faced Ipswich District Court on May 14, 2024.

The Rosewood container unloader pleaded guilty to one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm and wilful damage.

Crown prosecutor May Gu said both offences occurred on May 14, 2020.

She said Nicholas had been drinking on the evening of May 13 with another man who was known to him.

They got into a verbal argument just after midnight, which the court heard escalated when Nicholas got up to leave.

Judge William Everson said the other man kicked Nicholas in the back on the leg and used his hand to strike him in the back of his head.

“What followed was a chronic over-reaction on your part,” Judge Everson told Nicholas.

“You beat him severely.”

Ms Gu said Nicholas punched the other man at least 10 times, using both hands.

“The defendant picked the complainant up by the scruff of his neck and threw him to the ground,” Ms Gu said.

Matthew John Nicholas, 37, leaves Ipswich Court on May 14, 2024. Picture: Nicola McNamara

She said Nicholas then kicked the man at least six times in the ribs and back, causing so much pain that the man couldn’t stand up.

Nicholas then picked the other man up, threw him onto a couch and used his thighs to start choking the man, the court heard.

Ms Gu said the man eventually ran outside and managed to call police.

He went to his unit, which the court heard was above the Pizza Hut in Rosewood.

But Nicholas followed him and punched the glass door of the Pizza Hut, causing it to crack.

Ms Gu said the victim sustained significant bruising from the attack.

She said Nicholas’s criminal history included previous instances of offending while intoxicated, including public nuisance.

Defence barrister Dan Boddice said his client had had a good childhood, but struggled with alcoholism since his mid-20s.

“It’s governed the rest of his life,” Mr Boddice said.

He said Nicholas had now accepted that he needed to address his alcoholism.

He had made efforts to form a better relationship with probation and parole authorities to assist him with that.

Judge Everson told Nicholas that he appreciated Nicholas had not been the one to start the fight.

“However, your reaction was disproportionate and protracted,” he said.

He sentenced Nicholas to 18 months of probation.