Luke Collins jailed for over three years for sickening Port Augusta attack

A thug left a man unconscious and lying in his own blood after a sickening attack in a country town street. Watch the footage.

A meth-fuelled thug left a man unconscious and lying in a puddle of blood after his sickening attack in a Port Augusta street.

Luke James Collins, 27, was jailed for more than three years and warned to stay off the drugs after his “breathtaking brutality” was captured on video.

During sentencing, the District Court heard the victim had been out drinking at a friend’s house in Port Augusta on May 8, 2022.

He left the house about 9.30pm and started walking down Carlton Parade, where Collins lived.

The court heard the grossly intoxicated victim banged on the side of a car, kicked over a bin and kicked a fence.

Luke Collins was jailed for the sickening attack. Photo: 7 News

“You came out of your house with a large stick and struck the victim across the back of his head so hard that the stick broke from the impact and the victim was knocked unconscious and fell on to the ground,” Judge Liesl Kudelka said.

Collins ran back to his house leaving the victim, whom he didn’t really know, lying in the middle of the road and bleeding from his face.

The victim, who was found in a puddle of blood on the road, was taken to hospital with a face fracture.

Collins pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent.

The court heard Collins was distressed about his mother’s terminal cancer diagnosis and had been unable to visit her on that day, which was Mother’s Day.

“The victim was intoxicated and causing a disturbance, but he is in no way to blame for what you did,” Judge Kudelka said. “He became the innocent target of your drug-fuelled anger at the world.”

The court heard Collins was using about half a gram of methamphetamine a day and had been awake for a day or two at the time of the offending.

Judge Kudelka said Collins’ actions were “breathtaking in its brutality” and the victim now has migraines and is unable to sleep on his left side without experiencing significant aching from the pressure on his face.

“He feels anxiety when in groups and afraid that he might see you again in the community,” she said.

Judge Kudelka sentenced Collins to three years and 11 months jail, with a non-parole period of two years.

“What it does mean is that you have a lot of work to do to make sure that you do not return to using drugs when you are released,” she said.

“They truly are the worst coping strategy. And I am sure you do not want to spend the rest of your life going in and out of jail.”

The sentence was backdated to May 3, 2023.

Originally published as Luke Collins jailed for over three years for sickening Port Augusta attack