Jundamarra David Wirepa: Son sentenced for violent attack on father

A South Burnett man who brutalised his own father during a horrific attack that saw the older man bashed unconscious with an ashtray has been sentenced.

A father and son reunion ended in horror, with a young South Burnett man brutalising his dad in a “prolonged and violent” assault that left the other man with significant injuries.

Jundamarra David Wirepa, 24, faced Kingaroy District Court over the horrific attack, where bit his dad’s finger, punched him multiple times and ultimately left him lying unconscious while beginning to clean up the mess caused during the struggle.

The court heard the older man was bashed unconscious two times during the ordeal, once with an ashtray and another time with the leg of a chair.

Wirepa and his father had a troubled relationship and had been involved in an altercation in the week prior to the January 16 attack, the court was told.

Wirepa’s father attended a house his son was at on the day of the attack, with tensions leading to Wirepa throwing glasses and cups at his father before the two exchange blows.

The court was told property owner and Wirepa’s alleged co-offender Sosaia Fatafehi attempted to break the two apart, but this ended with the co-accused allegedly joining in the attack on Wirepa’s father.

Fatafehi is accused of smashing two wooden chairs over the victim.

A glass fan was broken during the struggle and Wirepa attempted to force his father’s neck towards a piece of broken glass, with the victim then hit twice with an ashtray before losing consciousness.

The court heard he woke up a short time later, only to be allegedly knocked unconscious once again by Fatafehi with a broken piece of chair leg.

While the victim was unconscious for about 10 minutes, Wirepa and Fatafehi began to clean up the mess left by the struggle, the court was told.

When the father woke up, he called for someone to call an ambulance, with his son responding “if you don’t get out of this flat now I’m going to kill you”.

The attack left the victim with severe facial injuries, and he was taken to Kingaroy Hospital.

Barrister Catherine Cuthbert told the court Wirepa had a “difficult and troubled” relationship stemming from childhood when his father left him and his mother.

“He saw him sporadically over the years and my client instructs that time spent with his father, involved him witnessing domestic violence, alcohol abuse, and he was most reluctant as child to visit his father,” Ms Cuthbert said.

Judge Orazio Rinaudo told Wirepa he would be best staying away from his father in future, given the bad blood and violence involved in his attack on him.

“The attack on (your father) by you … was protracted and violent, and did cause grievous bodily harm,” he said.

Wirepa pleaded guilty to one count each of grievous bodily harm and assault.

He was sentenced to three years’ jail, with a parole date set for September 3, 2021.

Fatafehi’s matter is still before the courts and he is due to appear in Kingaroy District Court in November on one count of grievous bodily harm.