Former NRL player Matthew Paul Minto in Rockhampton court for assaults

A former Newcastle Knights and Qld rugby league player who works with explosives at mines has fronted court over his inability to keep his explosive emotions under control.

Matt Minto, former Newcastle Knights player, has been sentenced for two assaults in Queensland.

A former NRL player turned miner who works with explosives at mines has fronted court over his inability to keep his explosive emotions under control.

Matthew Paul Minto, 34, who played for Newcastle Knights for on a one-year contract in 2014, assaulted two men in unprovoked attacks while he was intoxicated at the end of October in Yeppoon, Rockhampton Magistrates Court heard on January 24.

CCTV played in court showed Minto, who went on to play for Central Queensland Capras in 2015 and Souths Logan Magpies in 2017, talking with the first victim and others inside a hotel while the first victim stood calmly in a doorway, police prosecutor Claudia Neill-Ballantine said.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said Minto was lucky his victims did not suffer more significant injuries.

“(The first victim) was a very slight young man who was trying to enforce a banning order that had been imposed on Minto and Minto took offence to that,” she said.

“It’s described as back handing him, causing him to stumble backwards … and then Minto punched him in the face and that’s caused him to fall.

Matt Minto from Rockhampton had a rugby league career before working in the mines.

“He stood back up and Minto used his open hand to strike his face, slapping him twice more and other people have intervened.”

Ms Beckinsale said that victim sustained a bruised nose, redness above his right eye, dizziness, headache and sore jaw.

She said a taxi driver was his next victim that night.

A second clip played in court showed Minto in the back seat while another male sat in the front passenger seat talking to the taxi driver during the ride.

Suddenly, Minto moves forward and assaults the driver mid ride.

Ms Beckinsale said Minto appeared to become annoyed and hostile with the conversation that was occurring.

She said he leant forward and punched the side of the driver’s head before sitting back down again.

Ms Beckinsale said Minto leant forward a second time and punched the driver several times in the head, causing his glasses to break and crack his lower denture.

She said the driver also suffered bruises, immediate pain and discomfort to the back of his head, left and right jaw.

The court heard Minto was “very, very lucky” neither victims were rendered unconscious, nor fractured or other serious injury that required surgery that would have led to a more serious charge and fronting a higher court.

Defence lawyer Alanna Murray provided the court with four references on behalf of Minto which Ms Beckinsale said were all “glowing” and all found it “incomprehensible” that Minto assaulted two people.

Ms Beckinsale said while it may have been incomprehensible to Minto’s colleagues, friends and family, Minto did have “a bit of a warning sign” when he was issued a fine in June 2024 for public nuisance.

Former Capras player Matt Minto in 2016.

Ms Murray told the court she was advised that fine was from while he was drinking alcohol and “play wrestling” with a mate in a public place.

She said her client, a father of two who graduated from Year 12 at St Brendan’s College at Yeppoon, had worked at the mines for the past 10 years and in the same position for the past 3.5 years working with explosives.

Ms Murray said as soon as Minto, who did not recall the assaults, found out about the attacks, he immediately asked about the wellbeing of the victims and was willing to pay compensation.

Minto pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm from October 27 and 28 at Yeppoon.

He was placed on a two-year probation order, ordered to complete 80 hours of community service in 12 months, pay $1000 compensation to the venue victim, pay $648 restitution for the glasses and denture to the taxi driver along with $1000 compensation and he was banned from Yeppoon licensed venues for 12 months.

No convictions were recorded.