Jason Leigh Fitzsimon in jail after punching woman 30 times, kicking her

A “vicious” late-night attack involving 30 punches to a woman’s head has landed a Sunshine Coast father-of-two behind bars. Read what happened:

A Maroochydore father-of-two will spend six months behind bars after he viciously assaulted a woman and left her with “significant” bruising and cuts.

The night of the assault on July 18, 2019, started when Jason Leigh Fitzsimon, 38 at the time, had dinner at The Bavarian restaurant with a woman.

The pair then drove to Taps in Mooloolaba where they had a few drinks before an argument started.

The argument continued while Fitzsimon was driving with the woman in the passenger side, the court heard.

Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said Fitzsimon became angry and slammed on the brakes.

He then grabbed a handful of her hair and pushed her head back and forth several times in a shaking motion, while shouting words to the effect of “shut up b---h” and calling her a “psychotic b---h”.

Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The woman tried to get Fitzsimon’s hand off her head but he grabbed her arm and twisted it.

The court heard she managed to swing her arm out towards him and hit his face causing his nose to bleed.

Mr Stark said Fitzsimon, now 41, then “totally lost control”, punching the woman to the right side of the head about 30 times as she leaned towards the passenger door to get away and she almost passed out.

Once the pair were out of the car he then kicked her in the shin three or four times and punched her in the stomach.

She called the police and told him, “how could you do this to me, you could kill me”.

The woman was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital and was treated for “substantial bruising” to the right side of her head and cuts.

Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

A large clump of her hair also fell out while she was being treated in hospital from where Fitzsimon had pulled it.

Defence barrister James Feely said Fitzsimon had expressed guilt, was remorseful and had been a witness to domestic violence as a child.

Mr Feely said the automotive repair worker had sought help from a psychologist to address his issues.

Judge Glen Cash described the incident as “vicious” and “sustained”.

“Violence against women is a blight on our society … she had done nothing to provoke a response by you,” Mr Cash said.

Fitzsimon pleaded guilty to the five charges including two charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and three charges of common assault.

Mr Cash sentenced Fitzsimon to 18 months’ prison, suspended after he serves six months in actual custody for an operational period of 18 months.

Convictions were recorded.