Paul William Jackson sentenced for New Year’s Eve pub attack

A Sunshine Coast mining head honcho inflicted a frenzied attack on an unsuspecting pub patron after he was told off for urinating near a Maleny venue on New Year’s Eve.

A Sunshine Coast mining head honcho inflicted a frenzied attack on an unsuspecting pub patron after he was told off for urinating near a Maleny venue on New Year’s Eve.

Paul William Jackson, now 50, was sentenced to a 15-month suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in a public place while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance in Maleny on December 31, last year.

The court heard Jackson or his friend had urinated in a bush near the outdoor area of a Maleny pub when the 49-year-old male victim made a comment about their behaviour.

“(The victim) was simply milling about … and then Mr Jackson quite deliberately and through a number of people came to him and hit him very hard a number of times,” Crown Prosecutor Greg Cummings said.

Mr Cummings said the “powerful blows” had an immediate effect on the man who fell to the ground.

The court heard he suffered a broken nose, laceration, abrasion and ongoing snoring issues because of the attack.

Mr Cummings said the assault had impacted the victim’s work, marriage and social life.

“It has cost him a good deal of money, changed his view of the world and how he socially interacts,” he said

He suggested actual custody was in range for the offending.

Jackson’s barrister Martin Longhurst said the site supervisor for a mine in the Pilbara in Western Australia was responsible for about 100 staff and was very ashamed of his behaviour.

“My client is a good, proud man and a very responsible man and this is completely uncharacteristic, notwithstanding that 10 seconds of incredibly poor decision making will see him with a criminal record involving imprisonment today,” he said.

Paul William Jackson, now 50, was sentenced to a 15-month suspended sentence after he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in public place while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance. Picture: Sunshine Coast Daily

The court heard Jackson was apologetic for the attack and offered to pay $10,000 to the injured man.

Mr Longhurst said Covid-19 border restrictions meant Jackson was working away from his wife and three children for eight months straight without any relief and couldn’t drink.

“This was his first night out after being with his family and (he) became what is clinically known as a rum pig,’’ he said.

“He hit the rum and simply shouldn’t have.”

Mr Longhurst said Jackson believed it was his friend who had urinated outside the pub while the pair waited for the courtesy bus.

He said Jackson immediately regretted the “frenzy” and got his wife to drive him to the police station where he admitted fault.

The court heard Jackson has undertaken counselling sessions and an anger management course.

Mr Longhurst suggested a one to two-year suspended prison sentence as an appropriate punishment.

Judge Glen Cash said Jackson was rightly embarrassed by his immature decision to binge drink after getting home from work.

Mr Cash suspended the prison sentence for 15 months and ordered Jackson to complete 100 hours of community service.

He was ordered to pay $10,000 to the victim.