Sunshine Coast offenders guilty of assault named - list and photos
They come from all walks of life, from a tradie, miner, to a mum-of-five’s drunken fight with her partner – these are some of the Sunshine Coast’s brutal offenders. See the list.
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Sunshine Coast assaults have increased by a whopping 81.5% since 2016, with a common theme of alcohol running through the cases that front court.
According to Queensland Police Crime Statistics, there were 1122 assault charges laid in the Sunshine Coast region from January to September this year, a significant spike compared to 2020 where the figure was 1006 for the entire year.
This list highlights some of the people that have found themselves in court for their alcohol-fuelled antics across the Sunshine Coast, with many taking place in popular pubs and clubs.
From a woman who slapped, kicked and punched a pub staff member on Boxing Day to a man who punched his long-term friend in the face and fractured his jaw at a surf club, these are the beachside residents that had convictions recorded in recent months.
MITCHELL BROCK
Mitchell Brock, 42, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court to assault occasioning bodily harm and failing to leave a licensed venue.
Police prosecutor Stu Lydford said Brock was drinking in O’Malley’s Irish Bar in Mooloolaba on March 7, 2021 when he was asked to leave by staff because he was intoxicated.
The court heard Brock was being removed from the pub when he hit a security guard who was holding the door open for him.
“The assault was as he was being let out, he was outside the venue of O’Malleys and the punches were basically from behind,” Sergeant Lydford said.
The court heard the victim had his two front teeth knocked out and had cuts to his lip.
Sergeant Lydford said bar staff then held Brock on the ground until police arrived.
Brock was given a tw0-year suspended jail sentence for the assault charge and fined $700 for refusing to leave the bar.
CATHERINE JANE GALE
A woman who kicked, punched and slapped a staff member after refusing to check in at a Sunshine Coast pub said she was in the midst of a “horribly embarrassing bender”.
Catherine Jane Gale, 44, became agitated about having to complete a Covid check in and lashed out at Pub Mooloolaba staff on Boxing Day last year.
On New Year’s Day Gale also kicked a police officer in the groin after being arrested for carrying a knife in public.
Gale faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, common assault, possessing a knife in a public place, create a disturbance in a licenced premises and wilful damage.
Magistrate Rod Madsen sentenced Gale to 12 months’ probation and ordered her to pay the $130.30 offender levy to the court.
NATASHA ROSE GAYLER
Two young friends have been given suspended jail terms after bashing a man in Alexandra Headland during a night out drinking.
Natasha Rose Gayler, 22 and Julian David Jeffrey Blackburn, 24, pleaded guilty to assaulting a 47-year-old man and causing him bodily harm near The Alex Hotel in Alexandra Headland.
The police prosecutor told Maroochydore Magistrates Court the two friends had been out drinking for Gayler’s 22nd birthday and had arguments with the victim throughout the night.
CCTV footage played before the court showed the pair later approaching the man and punching him until he fell on the ground.
Blackburn continued to punch him while he was on the ground before the man was able to get up.
He was then punched a few more times by the pair until security intervened.
Gayler was also ordered to pay $500 in compensation to the victim, while Blackburn was ordered to pay $2000.
LUKE ANTHONY KREIS
Text messages sent to his partner prompted a pub-goer to punch his mate in the head.
Maroochydore District Court heard in 2020 that Luke Anthony Kreis‘s “friend” fell to the ground and later suffered memory loss and headaches after he was punched outside the Beerwah Hotel.
He’d been invited to the pub by Kreis, 32, who had an ulterior motive to getting a drink with his mate, as indicated by text messages.
Crown prosecutor Stipe Drinovac said the friend arrived at the pub at 6pm when Kreis approached him near his car.
“Are you still talking to Nellie?” Kreis asked his friend who had previously dated the same woman as him.
The court heard the victim replied “yeah, I am” before Kreis punched him behind the left ear.
“ (Kreis) swung a couple of punches at the complainant, causing the complainant to fall to the ground again.”
Kreis was sentenced to six months in jail, suspended immediately for 12 months.
BROOK PAUL CAMPBELL
Alcohol and jealousy were what fuelled Brook Paul Campbell when he punched his friend of 15 years in the face, leaving him in hospital with a fractured jaw, a court heard.
It was after a night of drinking that Campbell punched his friend in the jaw during a jealous rage, accusing the man of wanting to have sex with his girlfriend.
Campbell, 44, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore District Court in 2021 to unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm.
On the night of the assault the victim had gone to the Alex Surf Club with Campbell's girlfriend.
When they returned to the man’s house, Campbell starting shouting at him, accusing him of having sex or attempting to have sex with his girlfriend, the court heard.
The pair began arguing, pushing and shoving each other until and the victim yelled “you're no longer welcome, get out of my house”.
Campbell then punched the man in the side of the jaw, leaving him with a fractured jaw.
Campbell was sentenced to two years in jail, wholly suspended for two years.
PENNY ROBYN LUCAS
A Wurtulla woman yelled “do you want another punch in the head “c--t” during an alcohol-fuelled attack on two police officers she punched in the face multiple times, a Coast court has heard.
Penny Robyn Lucas was “belligerent and disrespectful” towards police who were trying to arrest her violent partner, Joe Derek Jenkins, on June 12 in Noosa.
Police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said Lucas continually defied police direction to stop obstructing the arrest and directly punched them in the face multiple times.
The court also heard the Wurtulla resident, who blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.217, was yelling and screaming at police during her attack.
Lucas pleaded guilty to in Noosa Magistrates Court to two counts of serious assault of a police officer, one of public nuisance in the vicinity of a licensed premise and wilful damage.
Lucas was sentenced to two years’ probation and was ordered to pay $1000 in compensation and $319 for the broken glasses. She was also given a two-year banning notice for the area.
PETER JAMES CHERRY
A Noosa mine worker who bit off a chunk of a man’s ear in a jealous rage has had his suspended sentence extended after being involved in another drunken night out while on parole.
Judge Tony Moynihan told Peter James Cherry in Maroochydore District Court in June he would be sending himself to jail if he offended again.
Cherry, 46, breached his suspended sentence for unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm while adversely intoxicated in a public place when he was drunkenly rude to restaurant staff in January, 2021.
The court heard then he tackled a man his then wife was speaking with at a Noosa bar, wrapped his mouth around his left ear and bit a chunk out of the side.
Cherry was ordered to be sentenced again for these matters after he was sentenced to three months’ parole in Noosa Magistrates Court in May.
He had pleaded guilty to public nuisance in a restaurant while drunk in Noosa where he demanded food after the venue had closed in January 2021.
Cherry’s suspended sentence was extended for a further 12 months.
SIMONA HELEN KEI
A Coast mum-of-five will have the threat of jail time hanging over her head for the next two years after a drunken fight with her partner led to her biting a police officer.
Simona Helen Kei, who had previously been drinking with her partner, mistakenly believed the officer was kneeling on her while he attempted to arrest her on October 23, 2020.
The 42-year-old mother pleaded guilty in 2021 to assaulting a police officer in execution of duty and obstructing a police officer performing their duty while adversely intoxicated in public and public nuisance.
Magistrate Rodney Madsen told the Caloundra Magistrates Court Kei had previously pleaded not guilty to the charges and a hearing had been set but she had since changed her plea.
Police prosecutor Jeanette Grigoris said Kei had bitten down on the officer's arm leaving him in pain with a prominent bite mark.
Kei was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and 40 hours community service for the public nuisance offence and 12 months in prison suspended for two years for the assault. Kei was also ordered to pay $500 compensation to SPER.
JUSTIN SHANE MCNAB
Two victims were left battered after a well-known Noosaville tradie clobbered them during a fevered flurry of violence.
Justin Shane McNab was in the toilets at the Rolling Rock nightclub on Hastings Street in the early hours of June 21 when he and another man pushed past each other.
The 30-year-old stonemason said, “watch who you barge mate”, with the two shoving each other, before McNab punched his victim in the face.
Police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said the victim then “blacked out”, and was dragged from the toilets by a mate.
McNab had also punched another man in the head while he was walking to a taxi rank the same morning, and left the victim lying on the road as he walked off.
McNab pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and public nuisance and was sentenced to six months’ jail, suspended for 12 months.
He was then ordered to pay $1000 compensation, as well as $489 in restitution.
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