Triggered Toowoomba tradie motel guest repeatedly punches motel guest
A Toowoomba tradie has fronted court for a violent attack that occurred when a fellow guest at the motel he was staying in asked him to quiet down.
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A Toowoomba court heard a tradesman, Xavier Tre Gordon, was lucky to avoid jail time after he repeatedly punched a motel guest in the face after he was asked to keep his noise down.
When the incident occurred on December 15, the 22-year-old Liverpool man was staying at the accommodation with his former employer.
The court heard police were called to the motel after receiving a report that two guests were involved in a violent altercation.
When officers arrived to speak with the victim, the court heard the man’s door was noticeably damaged.
The man told officers he was attacked by a man he did not know after telling the man to quieten down, who had been sitting outside his room.
With no provocation, the court heard Gordon punched the man in the face and head several times, and began punching the man’s door after he retreated to his room.
When the officers took up with Gordon that night, the court heard he told them he was assaulted first and had been retaliating.
Gordon also told officers the verbally aggressive man provoked him and damaged his own door in anger.
CCTV from the motel upheld the victim’s versions of events, however it did show that when Gordon got in the victim’s personal space, Gordon was lightly pushed by the victim before he started swinging relentlessly.
Police prosecutor Amanda Stephenson said because fines did not seem to be a deterrent for Gordon’s behaviour, a jail term was within range, much to the surprise of Gordon and his solicitor.
Solicitor Christiane Mullins said Gordon was remorseful, regretted his behaviour, and had no prior assault charges to his name.
She submitted a lengthy community service order, and although Gordon would agree to the terms of a probation order, it would be hard for him to comply with his work commitments in the Warwick region.
Ms Mullins said the father of a three-year-old, who had another child on the way, no longer drank alcohol or used substances to a “detrimental level”.
Ms Morice told Gordon he acted extremely poorly.
Gordon pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while intoxicated in public and wilful damage, and was sentenced to a two-year probation order and 40 hours of mandatory community service.
No conviction was recorded.
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Originally published as Triggered Toowoomba tradie motel guest repeatedly punches motel guest
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