Jessi John Skinner pleads guilty in Roma District Court to grievous bodily harm

A homeless man living on the outskirts of Roma who charged at another with a machete has fronted District Court for his violent behaviour.

Man wielding a machete. Generic. Picture: iStock

A machete-wielding homeless man living in a tent on the outskirts of Roma has landed in court for his drug-induced offending.

Jessi John Skinner, 28, pleaded guilty in Roma District Court to grievous bodily harm when he appeared via videolink from custody.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said on March 21 Skinner consumed a quantity of methylamphetamine before becoming aggressive with a man known to him.

The court was told Skinner became “increasingly threatening” and yelled “I’m going to kill you” at the complainant.

At the time Skinner, the victim and their respective partners were all living together at the same location on the fringes of the township.

“(Skinner) then picked up a machete located on the outside of the tent and ran towards the complainant,” the public prosecutions officer said.

“He struck the complainant who was seated, the complainant has raised his arm which has resulted in an injury to his arm.

“He sustained a large laceration, he went and attended the hospital later that day and the muscle was visible.

“He subsequently required surgery to repair the structures in his arm.

“The complainant wasn’t forthcoming with police, but he did later provide a version.

“I also note at the time the injury was occasioned the defendant apologised to the complainant and tried to stem bleeding with a nearby blanket, and he also attended the hospital with the complainant.”

Skinner was later arrested by police on March 29 and remanded in custody until his court sentence.

Public prosecutions described this as “a senseless attack” on his own friend and one of the many violent offences among his varied criminal history.

The court was told Skinner’s trouble with law dated back to 2013 where he was charged for an armed robbery at a Brisbane liquor store at just 18.

He most recently faced the Roma Magistrates Court in March this year for public nuisance at a local Roma pub where he threatened staff and patrons.

Defence barrister Jens Streit said his client was homeless at the time of his offending and has no community support.

“There was a dispute, it doesn’t matter what the dispute was about because the conduct was far too extreme and excessive,” Mr Streit said.

“The complainant raised his arm in defence, but importantly the minute that happened the matter immediately deescalated to nothing, he was focussing on assisting in relation to that injury.

“He lives a transient life, being estranged from family as a consequence of his background and involvement with drugs.

“Although the injury occasioned is a significant injury… it was subsequently treated and importantly during the altercation after the blow was delivered there were no other blows.”

Mr Streit said his client has spent his 198 days in custody trying to improve his literacy and numeracy skills so he can get a job.

“He’s obviously intelligent… he can come out here and become a productive member of society.”

Judge Ken Barlow sentenced Skinner to four years in jail and declared the 198 days of pre-sentence custody as time served, with a parole eligibility date fixed for July 29, 2024.

A conviction was recorded.