Daniel Weeks: Man sentenced for public nuisance over bizarre D’Aguilar Hwy brawl

The South Burnett man and his opponent had to be pulled apart by passers-by after a bitter, years-long feud escalated into a frenzied fistfight along a major route through the region.

A bizarre and bitter feud has landed two South Burnett men in court after a car crash between the pair escalated to a brawl across a major highway.

Kingaroy Magistrates Court was told a long-running conflict between Daniel Weeks, 36, and Harley Fitzgerald, 26, was again triggered on June 9 last year, when Weeks “flipped Fitzgerald the bird” while driving past him on the D’Aguilar Highway at Blackbutt.

Weeks then got into his partner’s car and drove off, with Fitzgerald quickly following and ramming his car into his rival’s.

The court heard both men pulled over to the side of the road before Weeks jumped out of his car, throwing himself onto the bonnet of the other vehicle before the pair came to blows, with their vicious fight spilling out onto the narrow two-lane highway.

The pair were eventually broken apart by passers-by and Fitzgerald was the first to return to his car, but not before Weeks threw one last punch at the vehicle.

Police prosecutor Lisa Manns told the court that the circumstances of the case were unusual, and there were “extremely bad feelings” between the pair.

Fitzgerald was dealt with for his part in the incident in February of this year, pleading guilty to the dangerous operation of a vehicle and public nuisance.

He was placed on probation for 12 months and ordered to pay $2299.43 in compensation for damage to the car.

He was also disqualified from driving for six months.

Weeks represented himself when he appeared in the Kingaroy court this week, saying his feud with Fitzgerald had been going for eight years.

The court had previously been told Weeks’ current partner was the former girlfriend of Fitzgerald’s brother, which was a source of animosity between the two men.

Weeks pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance.

He was placed on a six-month good behaviour bond and no conviction was recorded.