Robert John Thompson pleads guilty at Mackay Magistrates Court to assault of orthodontist

A Mackay man with an extensive history of breaking and entering added another offence to his repertoire after he assaulted an orthodontist asleep in his practice.

Police later arrested Thompson on in an Andergrove home finding knuckle dusters, clip sealed bags, modified straw scoop and a set of digital scales on January 22 2021.

An orthodontist asleep in his medical practice was assaulted by an opportunistic intruder the morning after grand finals night.

Robert John Thompson had an extensive history of breaking and entering, but assault was a new offence for the recidivist offender.

Thompson appeared via video link in Mackay Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to nine offences including assault occasioning bodily harm, break and enter, drug offences and obstructing police.

The court heard it was the morning after grand final night on October 25 last year when the orthodontist was asleep in the medical practice in North Mackay.

The orthodontist woke to find Thompson, holding a cash tin, rummaging through drawers in the business.

When confronted, Thompson ran towards the orthodontist kicking him out of the way and striking him in the face, causing a “cut lip and two centimetre laceration to his left eyebrow”.

Prosecutor Chelsea Pearson told the court Thompson then fled the building and made his escape on a motorised bicycle, throwing away the cash tin in the process.

Police later arrested Thompson at an Andergrove home on January 22 this year where he was found with knuckle dusters, clip seal bags, drug utensils and a set of digital scales.

The court heard Thompson’s recent spate of offences were committed while he was on parole for a trafficking offence in 2019.

Ms Pearson told the court Thompson’s criminal history included a total of seven previous enter premises, six previous enter premises by break, four enter of a dwelling and one attempt to enter premises.

Thompson’s lawyer Geoff Govey said his client had had a complicated relationship with drugs after first becoming addicted to methamphetamine when he worked in the mines 10 years ago.

Mr Govey said Thompson’s extensive break and enter history was admitted, but argued the assault was an anomaly in his client’s character – to which Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan agreed to.

“He’s not violent, he’s a drug addict,” Mrs Hartigan said.

“Assaults aren’t really his thing, it’s not what he does. But enter premises is.

“You’re offences of choice are drug offences, or related to getting drugs.”

Mrs Hartigan said she believed the assault was opportunistic.

“He fled after being surprised, perhaps no more surprised than the orthodontist,” she said of Thompson’s assault.

Thompson was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the knuckle dusters and drug utensils forfeited.

He had served 231 days in custody, with his parole set for August 13, 2021.