Adam Peter Fiumara pleads guilty to grievous bodily harm on teenage boy

Wrongly believing a 15-year-old was among teens throwing projectiles at cars on a major road, this Noosa man chased and attacked, leaving him with a “protruding” eye and lifelong damage.

Adam Peter Fiumara faced Maroochydore District Court this week charged with grievous bodily harm. Picture: Patrick Woods

A Cooroy man has been taken into custody for almost blinding a 15-year-old boy and “callously” fleeing the scene.

The teenage victim almost lost sight in his left eye after Adam Peter Fiumara launched what a District Court judge labelled “savage and cowardly” attack on a Friday night at Coolum Beach on March 1 last year.

The 35-year-old was a passenger in his girlfriend’s car when they had an object thrown at their vehicle as they drove along David Low Way.

By coincidence, the 15-year-old victim was walking with a young female friend near the United service station when Fiumara exited his vehicle.

Crown prosecutor Michael Andronicus said Fiumara spotted the pair, who were not a part of the group of children throwing objects at cars at the time, and said “come here you little c---s”.

The court was told the 35-year-old emerged from the bush and called the victim’s friend “a b---” before he punched the 15-year-old boy twice in the head, pulled him down and kneed him.

Fiumara’s girlfriend was not accused of any wrongdoing.

Fiumara outside court. Picture: Patrick Woods

Judge Michael Williamson KC said the victim recalled the strike but briefly lost consciousness while Fiumara “callously” left the scene as the boy lay on the ground.

Mr Andronicus said the boy came to but could not see out of his eye and was rushed to two hospitals.

The boy was treated but taken to the Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane for surgery due to his severe injuries that included bleeding to his eye, swelling, obscured vision and painful eye movements.

He was discharged from hospital after two days however had to sit straight up at home for at least a week while administering different types of eye drops frequently.

Mr Andronicus said the boy must attend yearly reviews for pressure on his eye and was at risk of further conditions.

If not for surgery, the boy would have suffered permanent visual impairment in his left eye, the court was told.

He pleaded guilty. Picture: Patrick Woods

Fiumara was not picked up by police until more than three weeks later after he was tracked from the vehicle’s number plate.

He was charged with grievous bodily harm and released on bail, which he pleaded guilty to on Monday.

Mr Andronicus read out the victim’s and his father’s statements to the court, while the boy’s mother read her own as she stared down Fiumara sitting in the dock this week.

The boy wrote about how the attack changed his life as a carefree teenager, who felt too traumatised to venture out at night.

He said he continued to relive what happened and lost sleep due to the belief he would lose his eyesight.

The court was told the boy missed several weeks of school and work experience as a boilermaker.

The boy’s mother recounted in open court the phone call she had notifying her that her son had been assaulted by an adult, which was “devastating”.

She recalled seeing her son in hospital where his eye was “protruding” out of his head, and felt “sick and angry” a man could do that to her child.

“This has been the worst experience of our life,” she said.

Mr Andronicus quoted the boy’s father’s statement, who was forced to fly back from working in Western Australia the day after he received the news his son was in the hospital.

The sight of his son in hospital made the father want to go out and find Fiumara and hurt him for the damage he inflicted.

He faced court over two sentence hearings this week. Picture: Patrick Woods

Mr Andronicus pushed for Fiumara to serve actual time behind bars after he showed a “complete inability” to control his emotions, which led to a child having to carry the medical consequences for life.

Defence barrister Timothy Ryan however put to the court the Cooroy man had shown contrition and took part in rehabilitation for drugs and alcohol, which did not require a stint in custody.

He said the attack was not premeditated but a “spontaneous over-reaction” to potentially dangerous conduct by others towards his partner’s car on a major road.

Mr Ryan said the 35-year-old acknowledged this, partnered with his intoxication, resulted in him not considering the consequences.

The barrister said Fiumara was remorseful and was willing to pay $10,000 in compensation to the victim.

Fiumara’s defence team said Fiumara recognised the consequences of using drugs and alcohol as well as what he put his family through with his court proceedings.

He currently runs his family’s business which employed six people due to his father suffering from a work injury.

Adam Peter Fiumara leaves Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Mr Ryan said these factors were tangible justification for a lower sentence.

Judge Williamson reserved his final decision to Thursday morning, and said it was not an “easy balance” between the recognition of Fiumara’s circumstances and the serious facts of the charge.

He said the victim did not present as a physically imposing or threatening person, who was bashed out of a “seriously misguided sense” of retaliation or vigilantism in a public place.

“You should’ve known better,” he told Fiumara.

The District Court judge recognised the remorse the Cooroy man had and the steps he took to address his issues, but said the circumstances called for “stern punishment”.

Fiumara was jailed for two-and-a-half years, with a parole release set at December 23 after he had served five months.

He must also pay the victim $10,000 in compensation.

The public gallery, brimming with Fiumara’s supporters, watched as the 35-year-old was led into custody, while the victim’s parents left separately.