Townsville’s Nathan James Pattell jailed for Mackay Hostel assault

A drunk father visiting his kids on Christmas morning turned violent towards their mother and a worker, leaving a crime scene of blood of broken glass for police.

Aboriginal Hostels Limited's Mackay Hostel at 49 Boddington St, Mackay QLD 4740.

Blood was found throughout the scene after a man shattered a glass window and cracked glass panels on a door trying to get to his former partner and a witness who had intervened on him assaulting her.

Nathan James Pattell, 42, fronted Rockhampton Magistrates Court on Boxing Day in relation to the assault and wilful damage along with an attempted enter the premise of the Aboriginal hostel in Mackay with intent to commit an indictable offence on Christmas morning.

Defence lawyer Geoff Govey said his client, who normally resides in Townsville, was in Mackay to visit the three children he had with the victim of the assault.

Police prosecutor Claudia Neil-Ballantine said Pattell and the victim were in a unit at the hostel on Christmas Eve and the victim asked him to leave about 8pm due to his intoxication and he started accusing her of infidelity.

She said the victim asked Pattell to return in the morning when he was sober.

Ms Neil-Ballantine said as he was leaving, the victim heard him yell words to the effect of “I left seven kids to be with you. I should have stayed with my ex”.

She said Pattell returned to the hostel at 3.30am, waking the victim up by knocking on the door of her unit.

Ms Neil-Ballantine said the victim went out to the courtyard with Pattell and asked him again to leave.

She said Pattell approached the victim, yelled out to a staff member of the hostel and accused the victim of having sex with the hostel worker.

Pattell then attempted to attend the TV room where the hostel worker was located and then grabbed the victim by the throat and squeezed.

The hostel worker intervened, placing themselves between Pattell and the victim and stopped the assault from continuing.

“The witness ushered the aggrieved into a secured office,” Ms Neil-Ballantine said.

“While the witness was shutting the door, the defendant has attempted to gain entry, pushing on the open door.

“Both the aggrieved and the witness had to push on the open door to ensure it was closed and locked and to prevent the defendant from entering the area.”

She said Pattell then shouted that he would come back and cut the victim’s throat.

Ms Neil-Ballantine said he then kicked two glass door panels at the front and rear of the office, causing the glass to crack.

She said Pattell then “destroyed a window to the office building, causing a glass window to smash and shatter”.

“When police arrived, they observed the defendant to have significant injuries to his right arm with a large amount of blood spread throughout the scene,” Ms Neil-Ballantine said.

He was also shouting that all the witness was worried about was “f--ing my missus”.

Pattell was taken to Mackay Hospital for treatment before being remanded in the watch-house until court resumed on Boxing Day.

Mr Govey said Pattell had been in a relationship with the victim since 2019 but due to its toxicity, that was no longer viable.

He said Pattell had previously been in a relationship for 17 years and there had been no domestic violence in that relationship.

Mr Govey said Pattell worked in factories in Townsville driving forklifts and had not consumed any alcohol for months prior to this night.

He said his client had received a cut to an artery and suffered significant blood loss.

The court heard Pattell will head back to Townsville as soon as he is released from custody.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of common assault, wilful damage and attempted enter premise with intent to commit an indictable offence.

Pattell was sentenced to three months prison, wholly suspended and operational for 12 months.