Anthony Malcolm Dixon, 63, guilty of Frenchville home invasion and assaults

A former horse trainer’s callous desire for revenge over a ‘lemon car’ has ended up sending his own son to prison with him after procuring he and his mates for a home invasion.

A former horse trainer’s callous desire for revenge over a ‘lemon car’ ended with the man sending his own son to prison with him after procuring him and his mates for a home invasion.

Jeffrey Willington, 57, and his son Michael Campbell, 24, were significantly injured when they were attacked in their residence on August 5, 2020 by three men.

Anthony Malcolm Dixon, 63, was found guilty by a jury of one count of burglary by break with violence in company and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm after a trial in Rockhampton District Court this week.

Judge Jeff Clarke described Dixon’s actions as “particularly churlish and petty... shameful conduct”.

He said Dixon senior “thoroughly denied” his criminal responsibility in the offending.

Dixon’s son, Lance Edward Dixon, along with Bailey Joseph Lill, were sentenced for their roles in the home invasion in August, while the third co-attacker Steven Thomas Wegert was sentenced in October.

Lance Edward Dixon, 25, was one of three men who carried out a home invasion, assaulting two men over a 'lemon car' sold to Lance's dad Anthony.

The court heard in August that Anthony Dixon had been friends with Mr Willington for years before Mr Willington sold Dixon a car Dixon described as a ‘lemon’.

Lill and Wegert were associates of Lance Dixon.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said Dixon senior was the instigator in these matters.

“If not for him, the three co-offenders would not have been at the residence that night,” she said.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Campbell had gone to Dixon junior’s sisters place on August 5 and told her “your dad needs to pull his head in” after Dixon senior had been heard by Mr Campbell at the Frenchville Sports Club earlier that day calling him and his father a “bunch of dogs”.

“It seems clear from your telephone records on that day that your (Dixon senior) son was the main person you procured to carry out the retribution on the victims,” Judge Clarke said.

Ms Lawrence said Dixon senior banged on the back door about 10pm that night, after Mr Campbell and Mr Willington went to bed.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Willington got out of bed and Dixon senior ran to the front of the house.

She said that moments later, there was a knock on the front door with Mr Willington finding Dixon junior at the door with a red bandana covering his face and saying “you sold my dad a s--- car. I’m going to get you”.

Ms Lawrence said it was alleged Lill and Wegert also had their faces covered.

Steven Thomas Wegert, 29, was senten in Rockhampton District Court on October 20, 2021. Picture: Social Media

She said Mr Willington denied selling Dixon junior’s father a ‘s--- car’ and told them to leave.

Ms Lawrence said the trio then repeatedly told Mr Willington they were going to beat him up and pulled the security screen until it opened.

She said Dixon entered first, followed by Lill and Wegert.

Ms Lawrence said Lill and Wegert were armed, one with a knife and the other a stake from Mr Willington’s tomato garden.

She said Mr Campbell ran down stairs and “shoulder barged Lill and Wegert”.

Ms Lawrence said the trio then punched and used weapons to strike Mr Willington who fell to the floor and was kicked while on the ground.

She said Mr Willington was slashed with a knife and sustained a cut below his right knee.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Willington was then knocked out and the trio turned their attention to Mr Campbell who was standing over his father trying to protect him.

She said Dixon junior grabbed Mr Campbell by the shirt and demanded he tell him where their money was.

Ms Lawrence said Lill and Wegert looked for items to take.

She said the trio was spooked by a neighbour flashing a torch into the dwelling and they fled.

“It was a persistent and sustained assault upon the victims,” she said.

Ms Lawrence said Lill’s fingerprints were found on a car belonging to one of the victims.

She said two red bandannas and a black shirt were found in a creek bed with Dixon junior and Mr Campbell’s DNA found on the shirt.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Willington sustained a fracture to his right orbit on his skull, multiple fractures of the nasal and facial bones, along with the cut to his leg.

She said a search of Dixon junior’s residence resulted in clothes worn during the incident being located.

Lance Edward Dixon, 25, was one of three men who carried out a home invasion, assaulting two men over a 'lemon car' sold to Lance's dad Anthony.

Ms Lawrence said Lill admitted to drug and alcohol intoxication that night.

She said Wegert told police “I was there but I wasn’t”.

Ms Lawrence said the victims were not only made to relive the assault during the trial of Dixon senior, they were also accused of being liars

Ms Lawrence said that since the incident, Mr Willington had struggled to hold down a job while Mr Campbell found he had a lack of motivation in life and no longer socialised as much as he used to.

The court heard Mr Willington was now hypervigilant, had sleep issues and required ongoing dental work while Mr Campbell quit playing football and had been abusing alcohol and wasting money.

Dixon senior’s defence barrister Sheridan Shaw said her client was born in Charleville and his father worked on the railway while his mother was a dressmaker.

She said Dixon senior had been interested in horses and racing but his father didn’t approve, so he worked at the meatworks until his father died.

Ms Shaw said her client then spent the next 20 years as a career horse trainer, moving around the country.

She said he had a horse accident in 2013 which resulted in two broken vertebrae and a broken collarbone, leaving him unable to work anymore.

Ms Shaw said he now spent his time betting on horses.

She said Dixon senior and his wife divorced in 2007 and their two children lived with their mother.

Ms Shaw said Dixon had moved to Rockhampton 12 months before this offending to build a closer relationship with his daughter and her two children.

She said her client no longer had contact with his son, having become estranged over these offences.

Judge Clarke said Dixon senior had expressed no remorse and had opted to display an “air of disinterest” as the victims gave evidence during the trial.

He said the defendant had gone to the unit before the others to make sure Mr Willington was there.

“You laughed at him through the window (after he was attacked) and stole away as cowards do,” Judge Clarke said.

He said Dixon senior tapped on the window and “gloated that you got them”.

Judge Clarke sentenced Dixon senior to four years prison, declared 223 days presentence custody and ordered the sentence be suspended after serving two years, with a five-year operational period.

Dixon junior was sentenced to four years prison, suspended after 14 months, declared 357 days time served with immediate parole release.

Lill received a 3.5 years prison term which was cumulative on a sentence he had received in Gladstone District Court on July 15, 2020, for armed robbery in company. 

Lill’s parole eligibility date is October 12, 2021.

Wegert was sentenced to four years prison with 376 days declared as time served and immediate parole.

Judge Clarke also committed Wegert to the Rockhampton Supreme Court to be dealt with for a breach of suspended sentence that was imposed on May 5, 2016 for trafficking dangerous drugs.