Nathan Hedley locked up for brutal assault, co-accused Wayne Hedley walks free

A father and son who pleaded not guilty to a brutal assault triggered by a love triangle have heard their fates in court.

A jury has found an Ipswich man guilty of a brutal attack which left his victim with a broken jaw – but acquitted his co-accused father.

Ipswich men Wayne Hedley, 54, and his son Nathan Lewis Hedley, 22, were charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm on August 20, 2020.

The offences were alleged to have occurred near a residence at Old Ipswich Rd in Redbank, where Wayne Hedley’s former girlfriend of eight years Soona Faulkner was living.

On September 1, 2022, a jury deliberated for hours before declaring Wayne Hedley ‘not guilty’, and his son Nathan Hedley ‘guilty’.

Judge Dennis Lynch QC noted that, although the matter proceeded to trial, the younger Hedley had previously pleaded ‘guilty’ to the assault but said he acted in self defence.

Mr Lynch said he would sentence Hedley on the basis he delivered a blow with force in excess of what was reasonable.

Wayne Hedley, 54, leaving the Ipswich District Court on Ellenborough St, Ipswich, on Wednesday. Picture: Jessica Baker

Nathan Hedley said he believed he had turned his life around since the incident, working full-time as a commercial roofer for more than a year as well as being a dad to his five-year-old daughter.

“I have been staying out of trouble. I have been trying really hard to do the right things in life, as I regret everything I done (sic) as a kid growing up,” he said.

The younger Hedley was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment to be suspended after serving six months for an operational period of 18 months.

Two days of presentence custody on August 20 and 21, 2020 were declared time already served under the sentence and he was taken into custody, while his dad walked free.

Ipswich men Wayne Hedley, 54, and his son, Nathan Lewis Hedley, 22, are on trial in the Ipswich District Court on Ellenborough St this week, charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm on August 20, 2020. Picture: David Nielsen

EARLIER

Pensioner Wayne Hedley, roofer Nathan Hedley, and their alleged victim Matthew Falt, a 45-year-old construction worker, fronted Ipswich District Court on Wednesday – day three of the grievous bodily harm trial — to recount their version of events.

Wayne Hedley told the court he called Ms Faulkner early in the morning to ask if she would like to get coffee with him. When she did not answer, he drove to her house.

There, about 6.15am, he told the court he saw a silver car parked across the road from his girlfriend’s residence.

After five to 10 minutes, Hedley said he drove over to the car and spoke to its driver to ask if he needed help as he thought his car may have broken down.

“(Mr Falt) replied, ‘no, I’m just sitting here waiting for somebody’,” Hedley said.

“And sort of leaned around past me, where I was standing, and looked at my partner’s place.”

Nathan Lewis Hedley, 22, leaving the Ipswich District Court, 43 Ellenborough St, on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

Hedley said he drove his car back to a spot outside Ms Faulkner’s house, where he waited until she returned on foot from purchasing cigarettes at a nearby shop.

He said he asked her if she was expecting someone and she “instantly started getting angry”, shouting and punching a letterbox.

Hedley said he drove home, as there was no use arguing with someone he believed was being dishonest, and collected his son Nathan Hedley and two of his friends to take them to Woolworths.

The father drove the group down Old Ipswich Rd towards Redbank, where he said he noticed the same silver car from earlier that morning driving directly in front of him.

He told the court the driver of the silver car — Mr Falt — gestured at him to pull over, so he did.

“When I pulled over, (Mr Falt) had jumped out of his car, came racing up towards my car aggressively,” Wayne Hedley said.

“(He was) yelling, saying ‘f**k you’ ‘what the f**k has it got to do with you, what me and her do?”

Nathan Lewis Hedley, 22, and Wayne Hedley, 55, leaving Ipswich District Court on Tuesday. Picture: Supplied

He said he told the man: “You can have her” and “She’s all yours, good luck with that”.

At this stage, Hedley said his son exited the car and approached Mr Falt, telling him “’f**k off, we don’t need any trouble’”.

“(Mr Falt) lunged towards him, punching my son in the chest,” he said.

“My son punched him back.”

Hedley said he recalled there being a “scuffle” between his son Nathan and Mr Falt, which he broke up, before Mr Falt announced he wanted to leave.

Wayne Hedley said all parties returned to their cars and he and his passengers continued on to Woolworths.

When questioned by crown prosecutor Andreas Galloway, Hedley stated he was not angry at the time and did not hit Mr Falt, but he was suspicious Ms Faulkner was cheating on him.

Ipswich Watch House and Courthouse. Picture: Jack Tran

Mr Galloway “put it to” Wayne Hedley that he hit Mr Falt and Wayne said: “You do seem to be a liar”.

When Mr Falt took the stand, he stated he was in the area because he was visiting an old friend he had recently reconnected with, not for any kind of “romantic meetup”.

He denied attacking Wayne and Nathan Hedley.

A text conversation between Mr Falt and his friend, who he said he was visiting on the day in question, was shown to the court, along with the man’s Plenty of Fish and Tinder “match sections” which showed no recent matches or messages.

The man’s text to his friend read: “I’m in your area was going to drop by.”

During cross-examination, Wayne Hedley, who was representing himself, asked Mr Falt if he ever told police he was attacked in his car while parked along Old Ipswich Rd by five or six people, to which the man said he had not.

“You’re a liar,” Hedley told the man.