Mitchell Ronald William Rees, 29, jailed for violent drunken spree through Cleveland

A violent offender’s hour-long binge-drinking rampage through a bayside hub left multiple residents assaulted, a court has heard.

A violent offender who “raged through the community” at a bayside hub for an hour, requiring multiple police to respond to the ensuing violence on community members and rail staff, has had his thuggish behaviour attributed to past trauma by a court.

Appearing with the support of his mother and father via video link at Cleveland Magistrates Court from remand, Zillmere man Mitchell Ronald William Rees, 29, pleaded guilty to four charges.

They included assaults occasioning bodily harm while armed or in company; committing a public nuisance; committing a public nuisance within the vicinity of a licensed premises and urinating in public.

The court heard a heavily intoxicated Rees was in the company of a co-accused on August 17 when he asked a young man, completely unrelated to him, for a lift on Middle St, Cleveland at 5pm

When the man refused the spontaneous request Reese punched the “slightly built” man with his left fist causing “pain and swelling” to the victim.

The coward punch victim was saved from further violence, the court heard, when his father raced out of their residence to his assistance.

At 5.40pm Rees would turn his “rage” on a rail worker at Cleveland Train Station.

The court heard Rees was approached by the station master while he stood urinating in a public area with his pants “down his ankles”.

According to police, Rees “shadow boxed” over the victim while his acquaintance assaulted the 62-year-old man, all the while calling the victim a “dog” and a “c**t”.

When three rail security guards arrived, his belligerence continued while he “struck out” at them before leaving the premises.

By this stage multiple police units had been engaged and were searching for Rees and his co-accused, the court heard.

The men were ultimately arrested by officers patrolling in the Cleveland Sands Hotel car park and showed “zero remorse” for their behaviour.

The offending came on the back of a “disgraceful” criminal history, according to police.

The court was told Rees was in March last year sentenced for a robbery that he committed in company in 2019.

A police prosecutor said Rees was a passenger in a vehicle during that incident when, armed with a box-cutter, he demanded a man on a street hand over his shoes.

The submission prompted Rees to ask from remand: “What box-cutter?”

For “raging against multiple community members for over an hour” it was submitted by prosecutors that the defendant be sentenced to 12 – 18 months’ prison.

Defence solicitor Bruce Johnstone acknowledged his client’s “bullying and thuggish” behaviour and attributed it to a binge-drinking habit and significant past trauma.

Mr Johnstone said his client was so intoxicated on the day of the offending that he could be seen on CCTV “staggering” as opposed to running through the Cleveland centre.

Three personal references and an apology letter were tendered to the court.

Mr Johnstone said Rees would upon release live with his parents in Zillmere and had work lined up on a poultry farm.

The court heard the defendant had also participated in anger management classes to deal with past trauma.

Given their client had spent 67 days in pre-sentence custody, the defence submitted that a six-month jail term with immediate parole and two years’ probation would be appropriate.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta acknowledged Rees’ significant past trauma and was impressed that he could recall much of the advice she had imparted to him during past sentences at her court.

Ms Vasta urged the man to seek professional help to deal with his past trauma lest it “build up” and he again behaves like a “furious monster”.

“If you change your thinking you can change how you feel,” Ms Vasta said.

Rees was sentenced to nine months’ prison with immediate parole and two years’ probation