Central Queensland coal miner Wade Gerald Campbell fined after attack on motorist

A court heard a motorist was in the driver’s seat, buckled into his seatbelt with the car running, when at least two men violently attacked him. One of the men charged over the incident was a Central Queensland coal miner. Here’s what happened to him in court.

A court has heard that a Central Queensland driver was hit with a number of punches. Generic image.

A court has heard a driver was hit with “up to 10 punches” during a violent attack while he was behind the wheel in Central Queensland.

One of the men charged over the incident, Wade Gerald Campbell, 27, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on June 16 to unlawful assault.

The court was told that another man was facing a bodily harm charge from the incident which happened at Barcaldine, in Central Queensland, on April 10 last year.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Darrell Dalton said at 12.15am, the male victim received a phone call informing him that his sister had been involved in an altercation with another female.

Sgt Dalton said the victim then drove to a house at Barcaldine where he saw a number of people walking along the street.

“He (victim) states he slammed on his brakes as there was a number of persons walking along (the) street,” Sgt Dalton said.

“The victim believes he’s collided with a male person.”

Sgt Dalton said after the man was struck by the vehicle, he and two other males “retaliated”.

Sgt Dalton said one of the men approached the driver’s side window and started striking the vehicle.

“The victim still had his seatbelt on at the time and was laying back in the driver’s seat when he was punched by (Campbell) and also by (another male).”

Sgt Dalton said the victim was punched to the right side of his face “approximately 10 times”.

The court heard Campbell had no criminal history.

Solicitor Brian McGowran said Campbell worked as a full-time electrician at an underground coal mine and he was a married father of two.

“His friend got charged with bodily harm - he’s out at Emerald,” Mr McGowran said.

Mr McGowran started to explain details of what happened during the incident when Magistrate Cameron Press interjected, saying: “What the prosecution on their facts have told me is that he (Campbell) has participated with someone else in punching the person in the car up to 10 times.”

Mr McGowran said his client did not do most of the punching.

Mr Press asked if the prosecution accepted that, and Sgt Dalton said it was accepted that Campbell was not responsible for the 10 punches but some of them.

Mr McGowran continued his submission, detailing what happened at the scene.

“It’s pretty chaotic - the car’s still going,” the solicitor said.

“The car’s still on, the car’s revving, it’s pretty chaotic.”

Mr McGowran said once the victim screamed ‘I’ve got a brain injury’ and asked for the punches to stop, the situation de-escalated.

Mr McGowran said Campbell was ashamed to be in court as a married father of children who “didn’t want to end up in this situation in the first place but his group had words with another group... and now he’s in the middle of the situation”.

Mr McGowran said the victim “eventually got an injury” but the prosecution was not alleging that was Campbell’s fault.

Mr Press said he hoped that Campbell had learnt a lesson before fining him $1500.

No conviction was recorded.