Jason Lourens, Jake Micallef convicted of causing grievous bodily harm

Two men have been jailed following a marathon trial where they were accused of assaulting and breaking a man’s jaw during a “boys’ weekend” gone wrong.

Jake Michael Micallef and Jason Rudi Lourens faced Maroochydore District Court for their trial. Photo: Patrick Woods

Two men have been jailed following a marathon trial where they were accused of assaulting and breaking a man’s jaw during a “boys’ weekend” gone wrong.

Jason Rudi Lourens and Jake Michael Micallef both pleaded not guilty in Maroochydore District Court on May 21 to one count of grievous bodily harm and one of common assault.

The men, from Dakabin and Morayfield, were on the Sunshine Coast for a boys’ weekend in 2021.

Following a week-long trial, both Micallef and Lourens were found guilty by a jury of grievous bodily harm but not guilty of common assault.

Judge Gary Long sentenced them to two years and six months’ jail, to be suspended for three years after the pair served 12 months in custody.

‘Covered in blood’

Crown prosecutor Arielle Spiteri called four police witnesses to give evidence on the third day of the trial against Mr Lourens and Mr Micallef.

One police officer told the jury he was flagged down by paramedics while patrolling the Alexandra Headland area on July 23, 2021.

“I observed a male laying curled up on the driveway, I also observed three males walking across the road towards the skatepark with an ambulance officer following behind,” he said.

The jury heard Mr Lourens was “covered in blood” when the police officer approached him.

“Jason had a cut on his head and was covered in blood, Micallef had a small amount of blood on his clothing but didn’t appear injured at all,” he said.

Lourens and Micallef.

The police officer told the jury he found pieces of broken glass after searching the area outside a nearby motel, where the two accused alleged the victim smashed a glass bottle over Mr Lourens’ head.

The jury were shown a lengthy police interview before an officer was cross examined by Ms Loode.

Mr Lourens’ barrister clarified no criminal complaint was made on the night, no crime scene was established besides some photographs, while CCTV was not obtained from outside the motel.

She said blood seen at the area was also not scientifically analysed either.

The female police officer said she wasn’t there on the evening but agreed to these to the best of her knowledge.

Ms Loode said Mr Lourens required stitches for his injury however this was not followed up by police due to no complaint being made.

The court was told two other men from the night did not give statements to police.

The trial will continue on Friday.

‘Punching, kicking and stomping’

Crown prosecutor Arielle Spiteri told the jury in her opening statement on the second day of the trial the three men had met at a “boys’ weekend” organised by mutual friends on July 23, 2021.

With seven men in total, the group planned to stay in a unit at Alexandra Headland and have drinks and a barbecue.

Ms Spiteri said both the alleged victim and Mr Lourens had not known anyone at the gathering beside the hosts who had invited them.

She told the jury Mr Lourens and Mr Micallef had been drinking since the morning and the alleged victim began in the afternoon but did not feel intoxicated.

Ms Spiteri alleged Mr Lourens approached the victim in the kitchen of the unit and asked if he had a problem with him, to which the victim had answered no.

It is alleged Mr Lourens then grabbed a knife from the kitchen and swung it at the alleged victim before punching him, the court heard.

Ms Spiteri said Mr Micallef had joined in as the victim fought back.

Jason Rush Lourens leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The court heard the alleged victim was knocked to the floor and the pair allegedly punched, kicked and stomped on him until others broke up the fight.

Ms Spiteri said the victim had left the unit and called a taxi after the scuffle.

During the wait, he heard the two men approach and allegedly say they would stab the victim.

Ms Spiteri told the court the alleged victim hit Mr Laurens in the head with a bottle, leaving a bleeding laceration, before he began to run.

The court heard Mr Lourens allegedly chased the victim whilst swinging a knife before the two had settled and began to “make up.”

It was during this conversation Mr Micallef approached the victim from behind and allegedly struck him in the head which caused the victim to fall to the ground.

Ms Spiteri said the punching, kicking and stomping by Mr Lourens and Mr Micallef allegedly continued again and the victim suffered a broken jaw.

Emergency services were called soon after.

The jury was shown a picture of the alleged victim in a neck brace suffering an extremely swollen face with red, black and blue splotches covering his skin.

Ms Loode said her client accepted he had assaulted the victim both times but will argue his actions were in self-defence after the alleged victim struck Mr Lourens first.

‘He tried to stab me’

Ms Spiteri called the alleged victim to give evidence to the court on the second day of the trial.

The alleged victim told the court the afternoon had a casual atmosphere before Mr Lourens approached and asked the victim if he had a problem with him.

“He grabbed a knife and tried to stab me,” the man said.

The man told the court the situation quickly turned into a fist fight and Mr Micallef had stepped in to allegedly start swinging.

He said he kneed Mr Micallef in the face in retaliation and the court later heard it had resulted in a broken nose.

The court heard whilst the man was waiting for a cab, he had heard the two men allegedly talking amongst themselves about stabbing the alleged victim before he “bottled” Mr Lourens.

The man said the scuffle forced them to move up the street, including Mr Lourens following when he ran a short distance.

The victim said he was not sure how the fight ended and he woke up in hospital.

Jake Michael Micallef leaves Maroochydore Court House. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Ms Loode asked the victim if he had nine drinks - which were each more than one standard drink - that night which he agreed to.

She suggested to the alleged victim Mr Micallef had made a joke in the kitchen that night and Mr Lourens laughed.

Ms Loode asked the man if he thought the joke was at his expense and he had punched Mr Lourens as the first act of violence.

The man denied her suggestions.

Ms Loode spent the majority of two hours questioning the alleged victim’s criminal and medical history dating back to 2012, much of which the man had replied “possibly” to.

Ms Thorp continued the questions into the fourth hour of the trial.

She suggested the alleged victim had called Mr Lourens over and hurled abuse before he smashed him with the bottle, which he denied.

The man also denied Ms Thorp’s suggested Mr Micallef had not hit the back of his head at all, and that the victim instead had thrown a punch at Mr Micallef before he was pushed onto the road.

More witnesses called

The host of the party was then called by Ms Spiteri to give evidence.

He told the court he had walked into the kitchen to see Mr Lourens and the victim fighting, and another member of the group breaking up the scuffle.

He said Mr Micallef had pinned the victim down whilst Mr Lourens was pulled back by a group member who was briefly “threatened” with the knife.

The witness told the court after the victim left the unit, he had attempted to stall Mr Lourens and Mr Micallef from leaving to avoid further conflict.

After heading downstairs, he last saw Mr Lourens and the victim standing on the road talking, with no aggression involved, the man told the court.

Not long after, the witness received a call from Mr Micallef telling him the victim was seriously injured and the witness told him to call an ambulance.

A third witness was called in the evening of the trial and recounted to the jury how he broke up the first fight between the three men.