Brett Daniel Goatham pleads guilty to assaulting man, woman at Yaroomba

An ongoing neighbourhood dispute reached fever pitch when a man slapped a man and a woman before he spat in their faces.

Brett Daniel Goatham outside Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Turner

A glazier business owner has been given a suspended jail sentence for his “deplorable” assaults on a man and woman where he slapped and spat on them.

Tensions in the suburb of Yaroomba reached fever pitch when Brett Daniel Goatham was seen slapping and spitting on a man and woman in two separate incidents of drunken behaviour.

His gross conduct was retold in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday following guilty pleas to two counts of assault and one of obstruct police and public nuisance.

Police prosecutor Brendan Newman said the incidents were kickstarted on November 24 last year at Yaroomba when the Verrierdale man cycled past a neighbour’s home about 4.30pm.

Goatham pleaded guilty. Picture: Sam Turner

As Goatham rode past his neighbour, he said the words “c---head dog”, “f---wit”, and “rude b---h”, the court heard.

Sergeant Newman said the Verrierdale man continued to yell obscene language as nearby residents were alerted to the ruckus.

The police prosecutor said the male victim, a guest at one of the houses, told the 45-year-old to go home.

Goatham shifted his rage to him and spat in the male victim’s face and pushed him onto the bitumen.

The victim stood up and pushed back to put distance between the pair, however Goatham slapped the man in the face.

Police were called and Goatham was given a notice to appear in court.

More than an hour later after police left, the court heard both victims left a nearby residence to go home when the Verrierdale man approached them again while drinking.

Sergeant Newman said the 45-year-old told the pair he knew where they lived. The woman asked if it was a threat before he spat in her face.

She slapped him as a reaction however he slapped her back.

Officers were called to the scene again at 6.24pm, however upon their arrival Goatham refused to open the door after he spoke to them briefly from his balcony.

Goatham after his sentence. Picture: Sam Turner

The court was told police scaled a wall of Goatham’s property, however he continued to refuse to open his door, and said “I want my lawyer”.

Police were able to enter the home through an unlocked rear door and arrested the Verrierdale man.

He was taken to the watch-house and bailed.

Sergeant Newman said it was “deplorable” offending and cited victim impact statements tendered to the court, where the man and woman felt constantly on edge, were in a perpetual stage of distress, and no longer felt safe in their own community.

Defence solicitor Braden Milburn submitted the injuries suffered by the victims could be considered to be minor, with the assaults coming in the context of a history of neighbourhood disputes.

Mr Milburn said Goatham had since left the area and felt remorseful for his offending. The lawyer proposed probation or even a fine for his client, who wrote an apology letter.

“It’s outrageous behaviour … it’s jailable stuff,” magistrate Chris Callaghan said.

Mr Callaghan accepted the offending was out of character but landed on a nine-month jail term for the 45-year-old, suspended immediately for a period of 18 months.

Goatham must also pay $2000 in compensation to the victim.