Montel Thomas Lawton pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm

A Queensland man who was once offered an NRL contract has been jailed for a series of violent crimes, including the assault of a man in a wheelchair.

A Queensland man, who once had a shot at an NRL contract, punched a man as he exited a toilet and boasted to partygoers afterwards he had “bashed up” the victim among a series of violent crimes, a court has heard.

This assault took place three weeks after he had been sentenced in the Supreme Court in Rockhampton for possessing more than two grams of methamphetamines.

As a result, Montel Thomas Lawton spent 15 months in prison finishing his Supreme Court sentence of 12 months and then 94 days waiting to be sentenced for the party assault.

Lawton pleaded guilty on November 8 in Rockhampton District Court to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, attempted entry of a car and commit indictable offence, obstruct police, wilful damage and one count of stealing.

Montel Thomas Lawton, 21.

The 21-year-old denied the assault, or even knowing the victim, when police spoke to him two days after the offence.

The court heard the victim had been outside the magistrates court on August 11, 2020, when Lawton approached him for a cigarette.

The victim told Lawton no as Lawton had ripped off a mate of his.

Lawton told the victim he would bash him.

Ten days later, Lawton and the victim attended a party in Frenchville and as the victim was leaving a toilet just before midnight, Lawton punched him in the jaw.

Crown prosecutor Samantha O’Rourke said the force knocked the victim to the ground and he put his hands up in defence as Lawton continued carrying out the assault.

Lawton dragged the victim back towards him and only stopped when other partygoers intervened.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said Lawton told one of the partygoers he assaulted the victim because the victim was a “dog”.

Ms O’Rourke said that during an interview with police two days later, “he falsely claimed that he had not attended that house party and pretended that he did not know the complainant”.

Defence barrister Jordan Ahlstrand said Lawton claimed he was “adversely affected” by meth and alcohol at the party.

She said Lawton’s attempted entry of the car charge arose from an incident where Lawton tried to gain access to a car and in the struggle, the driver dropped their phone out the window.

Lawton grabbed the phone and took off.

The court heard Lawton’s obstruct police charge arose from his attempt to interfere with police arresting a youth on Glenmore Road in June 2020.

He also woke his 25-year-old disabled brother up, verbally abused him, demanded money, pushed him out of his wheelchair and threw the wheelchair down the staircase, causing two wheels to buckle and fall off.

That incident resulted in Lawton being charged with wilful damage.

Mr Ahlstrand said the former private school student, who played for the CQ Capras in his teenage years, had knocked back an offer to play for the Gold Coast Titans at age 18 as he had the full time care of his son, who is now aged four.

He said the child’s mother was in prison and Lawton’s father was caring for the boy until Lawton was released.

Mr Ahlstrand said Lawton had employment at his uncle’s Gladstone-based business when released from custody.

Judge Chowdhury declared 91 days presentence custody, gave Lawton an 18-month prison head sentence, to be served cumulative on the Supreme Court sentence, and to be suspended after serving five months.