Impact Church Logan member Jason Vickers accused of assaulting pastor Tony Sawrey

A churchgoer who claimed to have been brought “back to life” 14 times and is accused of shouting “get behind me, Satan” before an alleged attack on his pastor, has told a court of how he “spoke to the spirit” before the alleged act.

A man who allegedly assaulted his pastor and damaged his property after being asked to leave a Logan congregation for acting inappropriately has appeared in court without legal representation.

Jason Henry Vickers, 67, faced Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Tuesday, August 9 for a hearing after being charged with one count of wilful damage and one count of common assault.

It is alleged Vickers, a member of Impact Church Logan, assaulted his pastor Tony Sawrey by flinging a cup of coffee so its contents landed on the church leader and a number of items in his office.

The 67-year-old appeared self-represented on Tuesday to cross-examine a number of witnesses including Pr Sawrey and various members of his leadership team.

Prosecutor Constable Cody Jones asked Pr Sawrey about the events which transpired on Sunday, November 28 last year and culminated in the alleged assault.

The pastor explained he texted Vickers and asked him to come to his office after the Sunday sermon for a “meeting”, during which he intended to ask him to leave the Impact Church community due to ongoing behaviour he perceived to be “inappropriate”.

Such behaviour supposedly included Vickers giving his fellow churchgoers cards with his contact details on them, in case they wanted to ask questions about how he had overcome struggles in his life.

Vickers told the court on a number of occasions that he had suffered 25 strokes, spent three months in a coma, and had been brought “back to life” 14 times.

He attended court on Tuesday wearing a shirt that read: “Sept 2008. My surgical team requested permission to turn everything off due to the extent of brain and organ failure. My wife said no! He is a man of faith. Jesus will bring (him) through. Thank you Jesus.”

A number of people in the church’s leadership team – who Vickers allegedly referred to as Pr Sawrey’s “henchmen” – were present at the meeting where the alleged assault took place.

Pr Sawrey told Cnst Jones that the conversation about him wanting Vickers to leave the church turned into an argument.

In a recording of the meeting played to the court, both Vickers and Pr Sawrey were heard discussing the morning’s sermon.

Pr Sawrey quoted a line from the Bible where Jesus tells his disciple Peter: “Get behind me, Satan.”

Vickers could then be heard shouting, “get behind me, Satan”, which was followed by a flurry of commotion.

Pr Sawrey said Vickers then threw a nearby cup of coffee at him, its contents landing on his shirt, shoes, desk, laptop, and office lounge.

He said he told the 67-year-old to leave the premises and warned him he would be calling the police and pressing charges.

The court heard he did not suffer any physical injuries; the temperature of the coffee warm but not hot enough to burn or scald.

Vickers asked his former pastor during cross-examination, “why do you have a problem with me?”. Pr Sawrey replied that he did not.

“I don’t trust you and you don’t respect me,” Pr Sawrey told Vickers.

The 67-year-old asked Pr Sawrey if he suffered with “tall poppy syndrome”, but Magistrate Michael O’Driscoll interjected and said his question was inappropriate and should not be answered.

Pr Sawrey said he could not remember having to ask someone to leave his church in his 35 years of service, but he felt he had to in this instance as he did not consider Vickers to be “a safe person”.

A member of the church who was present at the meeting described the voice Vickers used to shout “get behind me, Satan” as “demonic”. Vickers said he said the words after he “spoke to the spirit”.

The hearing will continue in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on November 24 and be finalised on November 25. Two more witnesses are expected to be cross-examined.