Veteran assaults fellow board member

A Royal Australian Air Force veteran flew into a rage when fellow veterans threatened to remove him from the local board of the Vietnam Veterans Association, a court heard, with the man punching another member in the face.

A Royal Australian Air Force veteran, who served as a flight engineer in the Vietnam War, was pushed to his limits at a meeting of the Vietnam Veterans Association of Bribie Island, Caboolture Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday.

Glynn James Young, 76, pleaded guilty to assaulting another member of the VVA during a heated board meeting, which Young described as a “set up”.

“This is an unfortunate and emotional situation,” said police prosecutor sergeant Peter Mitchelson.

“The meeting was called as a result of numerous complaints about the defendant to board members.”

Both Young and his wife had served as board members of the VVA chapter for more than 20 years, volunteering their time to provide counselling, support and other services to ex and serving military personnel.

The victim told police the group sought to remove Young from the board due to his “aggressive nature towards people”.

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Upon learning of the reason behind the special meeting, Young became angry and grabbed both of the victim’s hands and pulled towards him saying, “Do you want to fight me? Come on, have a go!”

The court heard the victim called Young an “arrogant bastard” a number of times, causing Young to feel “very much intimidated by him”.

The president of the group, Roderick Devenish-Meares, tried to intervene, but the altercation escalated to Young punching the victim in the face.

“The victim felt an immediate pain to the left side of his face, (he was knocked) on the ground,” Sgt Mitchelson said.

Vietnam veteran Glynn ‘Jock’ Young was horrified when he learned the volunteer organisation wished to kick him off the board after 20 years of service.

“(Young) was standing over him, both fists closed, yelling obscenities at him.”

Lawyer for the defence Tristan Butler-Keegan said the incident threatened to tarnish “a sterling reputation for service to his country”.

Young was fined $300, put on a good behaviour bond for six months and no conviction was recorded.