Richard Colin Accoom assaulted a woman, causing a large laceration, while drinking on Fitzroy River bank

A man was drinking with a group of people when a woman approached him and things suddenly turned extremely violent. Read what happened here.

Richard Colin Accoom, 31, pleaded guilty on October 28 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm and breaching a domestic violence order.

A man who stomped on a woman’s head, threw bottles of alcohol at her and picked her up and threw her to the ground twice claims he was just celebrating plans to move about 600kms away before the woman approached him.

Richard Colin Accoom, 31, pleaded guilty on October 28 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm and breaching a domestic violence order.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said CCTV captured the incident which took place on Rockhampton’s Riverbank.

“The assault consists of having a bottle thrown at the victim, then stomps on the victim with both feet and he hits her again with another bottle,” she told the court.

“After that, the defendant picks up the victim and then turns her upside down, driving her towards the ground.

“(Accoom) picks her up again and throws her onto the ground once again.”

Senior Constable Rowe said the victim sustained a large laceration to her head, believed to be from being hit with a bottle.

Senior Constable Rowe said this offending was a serious “excessively violent” incident in public which “continued unnecessarily”.

She said this offending breached a one-month suspended prison sentence for striking a woman with a metal pole then punching her in the head repeatedly and kicking her in the ribs.

Senior Constable Rowe said as the victim tried to leave, Accoom smashed her phone and kicked her in the face when she fell to the ground.

She said he went on to kick her all over.

Senior Constable Rowe said the victim lost consciousness and woke to the sound of sirens.

Defence lawyer Ken Spinaze said Accoom was about to move to Townsville to live with his mother, was under training to help gain employment and was celebrating the move on the day of the incident.

He said Accoom claimed the victim approached him and started an argument.

“My client, unfortunately, was very intoxicated at the time of the offending and doesn’t have the most clear recollection in relation to what occurred,” Mr Spinaze said.

He said of the little Accoom did recall, the victim said something to him and he attacked.

Mr Spinaze said Accoom had led a very transient life, often travelling between his mother and her mob in Townsville and his father in Central Queensland.

He said he was exposed to violence growing up.

The court heard Accoom had a 17-page criminal record.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said the evidence before the court showed the victim stumbled backwards after first being struck in the head with a glass bottle.

“And we’ve seen that (Accoom) jumped on her violently,” she said.

“It was more than just a stomp with one foot, (Accoom) jumped on her with both feet.

“She’s got up and tried to get away and (Accoom) then picked up a bottle and hit her head again.”

Ms Beckinsale said people tried to intervene and stop Accoom.

“It hasn’t ended there,” she said.

That’s when Accoom picked up the woman, turned her upside and drove her to the ground.

Ms Beckinsale sentenced Accoom to 18 months prison, declared 41 days presentence custody and set parole release for March 17, 2023.