Whitsunday tradie bailed after alleged assault with dangerous weapon

A magistrate agreed to release the man, despite his own solicitor describing the allegations as ‘very, very serious violent offences’.

Proserpine Magistrates Court heard a Cannonvale man allegedly beat his partner over the head with a baseball bat when a verbal argument escalated. File photo

A 50-year-old Whitsunday man has been ordered to move in with his parents after allegedly attacking a woman with a baseball bat at the weekend.

The Cannonvale man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly beat a woman over the head with a baseball bat and pushed her down a flight of stairs at an Airlie Beach unit complex on Saturday, June 12.

Proserpine Magistrates Court heard a verbal argument escalated when the man grabbed the woman by the throat and lifted her off the ground.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jay Merchant opposed bail because of the risk of the man interfering with witnesses.

The man’s solicitor Peta Vernon told the court her client had an “extremely” limited criminal history, and any risks of him contacting witnesses or reoffending while on bail could be mitigated to an acceptable level.

She said the man “doesn’t have a lot of memory of these events”, that both parties were “very heavily affected by alcohol” at the time, and that both parties had sustained injuries in the incident.

Magistrate James Morton said the prosecution appeared to have a strong case but “how that strong case comes out later on is a matter to be seen”.

He agreed to release the man under conditions including that he lives with his parents during the bail period, does not contact any witnesses, does not possess or consume alcohol, and submits to random breath testing.

“It looks like alcohol makes you go stupid, even at the age of 50,” Mr Morton told the man.

The matter was adjourned to July.