Wade Justin Popp, 18, pleads guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm after shopping centre scuffle

A young dad who bashed a man so severely he was knocked unconscious and hospitalised has faced court. Here’s why he did it.

Rose City Shoppingworld on Palmerin St, Warwick.

A brutal public beating outside a Southern Downs shopping centre earlier left a man with damage to his teeth and a loss of consciousness, a court has been told.

The man responsible, 18-year-old Wade Justin Popp, faced Warwick Magistrates Court on August 5.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Paul Condon detailed that on April 12, Popp was outside Rose City Shoppingworld on Palmerin St where he crossed paths with a 25-year-old man.

The two men got into an altercation which escalated into a “scuffle,” where Popp threw the man to the ground.

“He threw the victim to the ground, as the victim began to get on his feet, the defendant (Popp) kicked him to the ground, knocking him unconscious,” Senior Constable Condon said.

The victim was taken by ambulance to hospital where he was treated with “damage to his teeth, a concussion and swelling to his face and head”.

When questioned by police, Popp said he hadn’t started the confrontation and was trying to defend himself.

“When interviewed by police, the defendant said the incident had occurred in relation to bullying when he was younger,” Senior Constable Condon said.

The court was told the man had no previous history.

Popp plead guilty to one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm on August 5.

Magistrate Janice Crawford labelled the offending as “serious” and said that the father-of-one’s conduct was “opportunistic.”

Ms Crawford said she accepted the defence that Popp was “planning on speaking to man to have him stop harassing him.”

“You are a young man with a long way to go in your adult life, penalties can have a big influence. Move away from this behaviour and not engage in offences of violence,” the magistrate said.

Popp was sentenced to a 12 month probation order. No convictions were recorded.