Macleay Island man Joseph Shahedi Chalfe, 23, leaves woman gushing blood after assault

A young drug trafficker brutalised a woman, smashing her mouth and forehead, with a piece of gym equipment.

A 23-year-old convicted drug trafficker who, a court heard, opened up a 5cm gash on the forehead of a woman he twice struck with a piece of exercise equipment, has been released on parole.

Appearing at Cleveland Magistrates Court on Thursday Macleay Island man Joseph Shahedi Chalfe pleaded guilty to numerous charges.

These included possessing dangerous drugs; possessing property suspected of having been used in a drug offence; possessing drug utensils and unlawful possession of weapons.

The court heard Chalfe had pleaded guilty to the charges, stemming from offending from last year and 2019, quite some time ago but faced more serious charges at the Supreme Court.

Prosecutors revealed Chalfe was on October 12 sentenced to three years’ prison with immediate parole for drug trafficking.

Macleay Island convicted drug trafficker Joseph Shahedi Chalfe, 23, has been sentenced to two months' prison with immediate parole for bashing a woman twice with a weight trainer. Picture: Facebook.

With that matter concluded, his sentencing for his remaining charges could proceed in Cleveland.

The court heard the defendant was “deeply involved in the drug trade” in 2019 when he was asked to leave the premises of a woman but refused repeatedly.

Instead, amid what the court heard became a heated argument, Chalfe first pushed his victim back, then forcibly lay on her on a bed.

According to Magistrate Deborah Vasta, Chalfe’s victim may have managed to kick him in the face and threw a butter knife at him and missed.

It was then that Chalfe bashed the woman in the mouth with an abdominal roller he was carrying.

According to prosecutors, the victim grabbed Chalfe’s “man-bun” in order to prevent a further blow with the implement but was struck on the forehead, splitting it open.

“The defendant has swung the weight trainer at the person’s mouth causing pain and bleeding,” a police prosecutor said.

“The person has grabbed the defendant’s man bun to stop him from striking again and he has swung the weight trainer at the person again, this time making contact with the person’s forehead and knocking the person to the ground.”

The court heard ambulance workers would arrive to find the woman bleeding from her mouth and a 5cm gash on her forehead.

Chalfe was sentenced at Cleveland Magistrates Court. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

Given the nature of her injuries, the victim had to hospitalised overnight while Chalfe refused to be interviewed by police, the court heard.

According to prosecutors, Chalfe was also intercepted with cannabis and various drug utensils on August 28, 2019.

Intercepted by patrolling police on Macleay Island a total of 9g cannabis was found on his person in addition to clipseal bags, cryovac containers for storing drugs; glass jars and a pipe for smoking drugs.

Chalfe admitted to all materials at first opportunity, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Sam Dymock said his client conceded to all the facts, had not committed any further offending and had cut all contact with his victim since the incident.

Mr Dymock explained that Chalfe was unemployed and had recently had hernia surgery at the time of the offending.

Since then, Chalfe had progressed to the position of team leader at a marketing firm, worked six days a week and lived with his father, according to the defence.

Given his “strong future prospects” and his recent 3-year prison sentence at a higher court, Mr Dymock submitted that his client ought to be convicted and not further punished.

Ms Vasta noted it may look better for Chalfe were he instead sentenced for his vicious assault; lest a future court hearing be surprised at his lack of punishment.

Chalfe was convicted and not further punished for his drug offending, and sentenced to two months’ prison with immediate parole.