Cody Beckhouse pleads guilty to affray, assault during neighbourhood dispute at Moffat Beach

A witness was hit with a projectile by a young father during an out of control feud in a beachside Sunshine Coast suburb, with one of the men involved allegedly armed with an axe.

Cody John Beckhouse (white shirt) leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on a previous occasion. Picture: Patrick Woods

An Ipswich father has been released from prison for his bizarre role in an affray on the Sunshine Coast where he threw a brick at an innocent female bystander.

Videos of the wild fracas involving Cody John Beckhouse were shown to Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty several charges including affray, assault while armed and public nuisance.

Witness footage played to the court by police prosecutor Mel Pyke revealed the fevered “neighbourhood dispute” which escalated on September 25 last year at Moffat Beach.

“F--k off dog … come here … you ugly b---h,” could be heard on the video playing in court.

Swearing and screaming continued over two visual recordings of the affray, where Beckhouse, who had no shirt on, joined with his other co-accused, one of whom was allegedly holding an axe.

Beckhouse appeared in court by video from prison while on remand. Picture: Patrick Woods

The court heard there was a “grudge” between all parties involved in the affray.

Sergeant Pyke said the Ipswich man then armed himself with a brick and threw it at an innocent woman filming the incident on her phone through a fence, which hit her in the hip and caused bruising.

The police prosecutor said the victim struggled in pain to complete daily activities the following day.

The court heard Beckhouse was already on 18 months probation for another affray he was sentenced to prior to the brick attack.

Defence lawyer Luke Bull said the neighbourhood dispute escalated that day but emphasised to the court it was not Beckhouse who was holding the axe but allegedly another co-accused.

Mr Bull said it was agreed the 24-year-old was not the leader of the wild disturbance with the victim only suffering bruising from the “serious” assault.

The defence lawyer pushed for a parole release date so Beckhouse could return to his family, particularly his children. He said the Ipswich man was remorseful.

Magistrate Rod Madsen said neighbourhood disputes which result in physicality can “get well and truly get out of hand”.

Mr Madsen said the woman the 24-year-old assaulted was a good witness who was “doing nothing more than being a civic minded person”, and in the process, became a victim herself.

Beckhouse was handed a head sentence of 12 months’ jail but released on parole on Thursday after spending 65 days on remand.