Ryan Irving sentenced for assaulting parents at Biloela

A musterer who assaulted his parents at their Queensland home before assaulting police had suffered a brain injury after being kicked in the head by a bull, a court has heard.

Ryan Thomas Irving, 24, was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court after attacking his parents at their Biloela home. Generic image.

Ryan Thomas Irving was living with his mother and stepfather at Biloela when he assaulted them in an angry rage.

The drama started when he returned home at 1am one morning after a night of drinking with his mates.

Soon after getting home, Irving followed his mum through the house and threatened to put her head through the wall.

He then sat down at the kitchen table with his stepfather to eat.

While sitting there, Irving got agitated and started slamming his fists on the table.

He got up and pushed his stepfather in the shoulder, saying “I’ll hurt you, I’ll get you on the floor, I’ll kick you in your guts and your head.”

His stepdad felt uncomfortable and stood up.

Irving then lunged forward at him with two open hands so he grabbed Irving by the shirt and pulled him to the ground to prevent being assaulted.

Once the pair were on the ground, Irving’s stepfather laid on him to prevent being assaulted.

Irving lashed out, scratching his stepdad’s face, neck and chest.

The stepfather then grabbed both of Irving’s arms and held them down across Irving’s chest.

When Irving couldn’t get his hands free, he lifted his legs and started using them.

Irving’s mum called Triple-0 and then went to hold down his legs.

When she did this, he kicked her in the face.

Irving kept “clawing and kicking out” at both his mum and stepfather until police arrived and separated everyone.

Officers saw Irving’s mum and stepdad had scratches and bruises on their faces and bodies.

Irving, 24, accepted that version of events in Gladstone Magistrates Court where he appeared in custody and pleaded guilty to charges including two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence offences), two counts of obstructing police, and one count of serious assault of a police officer causing bodily harm.

Gladstone Courthouse.

The court heard that as well as the incident at the Biloela home on November 27, 2023, Irving was arrested under a warrant by police in August, 2024, and taken to the watch-house at Barcaldine.

There, Irving was aggressive towards police and without warning he “violently pushed” an officer, causing him to lose balance and fall backwards onto a wall.

Irving continued to resist and when police grabbed his arms to restrain him, he pushed an officer’s head “hard” into the wall, the court heard.

The injured officer sought treatment at Barcaldine Hospital for a haematoma to his head.

The court heard that Irving showed no remorse, telling police he would “see them off duty and bash them.”

It was also told that on a separate occasion, Irving had threatened to shoot his mum and stepfather and burn their house down.

Irving had no criminal history.

Solicitor Stephen White said Irving, who had worked as a contract musterer and a station hand, suffered a brain injury after being kicked in the head by a bull.

Mr White said Irving had work to go to once he was released from custody.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan sentenced Irving to six months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of 15 months, and 20 days’ pre-sentence custody was taken into account but not declared.

She also placed him on 15 months’ probation and ordered he pay $700 compensation to the injured police officer.

Convictions were recorded.