Adam Richard John Mills faces Toowoomba District Court for fracturing man’s skull with hammer

The 33-year-old threw a hammer at his mother’s partner falsely believing he had assaulted his sister. See the cost of that blow here.

A family dispute over a borrowed DVD had ended with one man in hospital with serious injuries and another in jail.

Adam Richard John Mills, 33, got a call from his sister who said their mother’s boyfriend had assaulted her over a DVD she had borrowed, Toowoomba District Court was told.

Earlier, the victim had gone to Mills’ sister’s home to retrieve the DVD which had prompted an argument during which she picked up a chair, threatening to strike him while he eventually stomped on her mobile phone, but no assault took place.

Barrister Geoff Seaholme, for the Crown, told the court after Mills was told by his sister she had been bashed, he had armed himself with a claw hammer and metal pole, ordered a taxi, gathered his sister and two mates and the group travelled to their mother’s home in Wilsonton Heights on January 30, 2020.

Adam Richard John Mills, 33, was jailed for four and a half years after appearing in Toowoomba District Court on February 10, 2023, on grievous bodily harm and burglary while armed in the night in company.

En route Mills told the taxi driver to wait as they would only be 30 seconds, “a quick smash then f--king run”, he said.

When he saw the angry Mills approaching his home armed with a hammer and metal pole, the victim grabbed a knife, fearing for his safety, Mr Seaholme said.

When Mills entered the home to see his mother’s partner armed with a knife, he threw the hammer across the room which struck the man in the head, knocking him unconscious.

As Mills and his group left in the waiting taxi, the victim was taken to hospital and airlifted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane with a fractured skull where he underwent surgery and had a titanium plate inserted in his skull, the court was told.

When spoken to by police, Mills claimed he had “blacked out” but was able to show officers where he had dumped the hammer, Mr Seaholme said.

The victim had made a good recovery though he had flashbacks to that night, he said.

“This was a premeditated attack on a man in his own home,” Mr Seaholme said, describing the incident as a “vigilante style home invasion”.

Mills pleaded guilty to burglary in the night in company while armed and grievous bodily harm.

His barrister Wesley Seewald told the court his client expressed “sincere remorse and contrition” and realised his actions could have killed the victim.

“He was acting out of misguided loyalty to his sister,” he said.

Since the incident his client was not allowed contact with his mother and family relations remained strained, he said.

His client had no previous offences of violence, had been with his partner for 11 years and they had just welcomed a son born on January 12, Mr Seewald said.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC said the victim’s impact statement spoke of not only the fracturing of his skull but the fracturing of the family.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren SC warned people could not take the law into their own hands.

“These tragic circumstances of your offending demonstrate how quickly and how harmfully disputes within a family can escalate,” he said.

“You could easily have killed him.

“People have to understand that no matter what their dispute, no matter what their protective instincts to their siblings or other family members you cannot take the law into your own hands.”

Judge Horneman-Wren sentenced Mills to four and half years in jail but ordered the term be suspended after he had served 18 months with the remainder to hang over his head for five years.

Originally published as Adam Richard John Mills faces Toowoomba District Court for fracturing man’s skull with hammer