Mackay drug dealer James William Corrigan destroyed man’s eye

A Mackay man ruptured a victim’s eye when he punched him in the face during a violent confrontation over money. The victim is never expected to see from that eye again.

A man must now live his whole life completely blind in one eye after a Mackay drug dealer reached into his car and punched him so hard in the face that it ruptured his eyeball.

After the victim drove himself to hospital to get some help, perpetrator James William Corrigan sent nasty messages to him such as, “f--- your eye c--t, you got off lightly with that”.

Almost half a year later, the father-of-two was busted during the major Operation Romeo Suitcase sting in Mackay, where he was busted with a large amount of pure meth, just shy of 24g.

These were just some of the shocking facts of Corrigan’s two major crimes read out by Justice Graeme Crow in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton on August 3.

James William Corrigan

Violent offence

The court heard Corrigan became dissatisfied after he stood over the victim and told him to do things, but he didn’t want to do them.

Later, the victim was parked near a karate studio on Swayne Street at North Mackay when he noticed Corrigan driving a black Jeep Cherokee about 8.30pm on November 13, 2019.

Corrigan parked his Jeep directly behind the victim as a Black Suzuki drove to the scene and blocked the victim’s car.

A man not known to the victim exited the Suzuki and stood in front of the victim’s car.

Corrigan approached the driver’s side window and tried to open the door and managed to grab whatever he could, including a forklift licence.

“Where is the money,” Corrigan shouted to the victim at the time, insisting he hand over his keys and get out of the car.

Corrigan punched him on the right side of the face.

The victim said his right eye was ‘quite stuffed’ before Corrigan drove away.

The driver of the black Suzuki said to the victim that he better give Corrigan money, then drove also away.

Disorientated, the victim was able to drive himself to the Mackay Hospital with a globe rupture and a fracture to his right orbital floor.

He was taken to the Royal Brisbane Hospital for surgery, but is not expected to regain use of he eye.

Corrigan sent Facebook messages to the victim while he was at hospital such as, “c--t, I f---ing own me, that’s why you got hit with a left hand, one time, no dusters either ‘cause you were ducking and hiding like a coward and talking tough through text”.

“Now you get someone to come fight for you?

“You a f---ing joke c--t, you look like an even bigger pussy now.

“F--- your eye c--t, you got off lightly with that.”

The court heard Corrigan was speaking to a woman on November 21, 2019 who heard he poked someone’s eye out.

Corrigan said at the time that the eye wasn’t ‘poked out’.

James William Corrigan

Drug offending

A woman went to Corrigan to get 1.75g of meth on March 6, 2020 because she was expecting her superannuation payout.

Corrigan indicated he would go to Caneland soon and this would be the only time to supply the drug.

Police raided Corrigan’s Shoal Point house on April 7, 2020, where two children were also present.

Police found $650 cash, a grey zip up pouch of clip seal bags with meth, and another clip seal bag with 0.39g of cocaine.

Located next to the cocaine was a clip seal bag with a ‘very small’ amount of meth and some ketamine.

Police went to the master bedroom and found 5.855g of pure methylamphetamine, $240 of cash, ID cards in Corrigan’s name and his Samsung phones.

The court heard one of his phones used a service number intercepted by police.

Police wanting Corrigan to unlock the phone and he claimed only a fingerprint would unlock it, but his fingerprint didn’t work.

Overall, police found 32.471g of crystalline substance in total amounting to 23.953g of pure meth.

Given the amount was close to an ounce, the Crown believed it could have a street value between $3000 and $8000.

The Crown alleged the meth was possessed for commercial purposes because they were segregated in different qualities, Justice Crow read.

James William Corrigan

Sentencing

Prosecutor Josh Phillips told the court it was only Mr Corrigan who dealt the blow and while the victim’s eye was ‘still there’, it had ‘no utility’.

Mr Phillips said the proper inference was there was some co-ordination to the violent incident, but that did not mean it was planned days in advance.

“This was truly a single endeavour by Mr Corrigan without any involvement of others, recognising immediately, of course, that it is only Mr Corrigan who has physically dealt the blow,” he said.

“The functional loss of the eye, Your Honour, could do little else than infer that the loss of the utility of somebody’s eye is likely to have a substantial impact, even if [the victim] is not here to tell Your Honour that himself.”

Mr Phillips said Corrigan would be released to the woman who considered him her partner, however she has criminal history.

“The fact that she has those own difficulties in her life reduces the prospect that she is going to be a steadying force in his own life, and that will do what she can to encourage him to steer clear from drugs and stay on the straight and narrow,” he said.

This would mean Corrigan’s self-regulation and rehabilitation would be more difficult, Mr Phillips said.

Corrigan’s solicitor Darren Robinson gave two character references to the court.

Defence barrister Alastair McDougall, instructed by Mr Robinson from Keir Steele Waldon Lawyers, said the violent offence was committed while Corrigan was on parole and he’d served a week shy of 16 months in actual custody.

But due to provisions of the Sentencing Act, he could only get a parole eligibility date instead of a fixed date.

“His criminal history, Your Honour, is indicative of a man who’s had a history of drug problems, his quite littered with possession offences,” he said.

Corrigan’s only other offence dealt with in a superior court was an assault occasioning bodily harm in 2003.

A report from a psychologist was given to the court which outlined Corrigan’s diagnosis with major depressive disorder and substance abuse disorder.

Mr McDougall said the report referenced Corrigan had insight into his own behaviour and at no time did he blame anyone else for what he did.

However, Mr Phillips noted the psychologist’s experience was mostly in management rather than clinical assessment.

“The difficulty I have with it is, if an expert’s going to express an opinion, the expert must reason the opinion or it’s simply not admissible,” Justice Crow said.

Mr Phillips said it gave detail of background but did not significantly feature in sentencing.

Before handing down his sentence, Justice Crow said Corrigan showed a complete lack of remorse at the time but now shows some remorse.

“Your fall to the use of methylamphetamine has cost you your marriage and therefore your job,” he said.

Justice Crow also said it was ‘deeply concerning’ there were drugs in the house while kids were there.

“While [substance abuse disorder] is a medical condition, the fault lays at you for using the drugs.

“It’s sometimes said by prisoners that the only way to get away from methylamphetamine is to spend some time inside, that you clear the air, you get away from drugs.

“It troubles me that people speak highly of the people involved in the commercial exploitation of drugs because they simply don’t understand the effect that drugs have upon society.

“It’s caused you to get involved in this very serious criminal conduct.”

Mr McDougall submitted Corrigan was still fit for community based orders and should have the parole eligibility date set for that day due to delays with the parole board.

Corrigan pleaded guilty to 11 offences including grievous bodily harm, possessing over 2g of methylamphetamine, drug supply, enter premises with intent, among others.

He was sentenced to cumulative periods of 3.5 years imprisonment for the GBH and 2.5 years for possessing meth, totalling 6 years.

He was ordered to forfeit the drugs and was convicted and not further punished on all other offences, with Justice Crow ruling his spent time in custody was enough.

Convictions were recorded.

“The offence of violence you committed, the grievous bodily harm, taking someone's sight away, is a good example of what drugs do to someone who comes from a good family - turns them into serious criminals,” Justice Crow said.

“It may have only been one punch but it took someone's sight and as we all know, one punch can kill people, particularly from strong people.”