Stafford Heights’ Reece Stephen Fewster, 22, hits, slams woman on ground after group rape threat

A Queensland magistrate has taken the extraordinary step of calling an offender’s mother during open court to relay a horrific pack rape threat.

A magistrate disgusted by a 22-year-old removalist’s violence towards a woman has taken the extraordinary step of calling his mother interstate during open court and mid hearing, to relay to her the facts of his offending.

It took place at Cleveland Magistrates Court on July 22 after Stafford Heights and former Western Australia man Reece Stephen Fewster pleaded guilty to a string of offences including two counts of common assault (domestic violence offences), wilful damage, public nuisance and others.

Appearing via video link from prison, Fewster had to listen as Magistrate Deborah Vasta rang his mother in WA to explain his offending in detail for all the court to hear.

The court heard Fewster on April 25 flew into a rage after a post-coital argument with his partner of seven weeks turned to talk of cheating.

A magistrate has called Reece Stephen Fewster's mother during a court hearing to explain details of his assault on a woman. Picture: Facebook

A police prosecutor said the defendant called his victim a slut, jumped on top of her and hit her multiple times.

His anger would further escalate when the woman attempted to record the violence on Snapchat and hid her phone down the front of her pants when he approached her.

The court Fewster lifted the woman clear off the ground and slammed her on her back where she lay stunned.

The assault occurred in front of the victim’s four-year-old son and was accompanied by a threat from Fewster to get some of his mates to group rape her, because, in his words, “sluts enjoy being raped”.

Her phone was repeatedly smashed on the ground, the court heard.

The ordeal would only end when the defendant threw a log at the woman’s unit and “stalked off” to a mate’s house in Birkdale.

The prosecution said Fewster had a lengthy criminal history which extended interstate and included a previous prison sentence and numerous community orders.

Noting the man also had warrants out against him in South Australia, Magistrate Vasta was adamant he return to Western Australia where he would live with his mother.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta found Fewster’s mother to be an inspiration. Photo: Max Fleet / NewsMail

“I want him on the first plane out of Queensland immediately,” she said.

Having tendered an “inspiring” reference letter to the court on behalf of her son, Fewster’s mother was taken aback by the extent of his offending, which the court heard was driven by an ice addiction.

“I am overwhelmed; I did not know all these facts,” she told the court.

Having thanked Magistrate Vasta for the care she had given her son during the hearing, Fewster’s mother left him with a poignant warning.

“You are hurting women and getting to the point of no return,” she said.

“You cannot hang out with people from the past.”

Defence solicitor Katelin Sherrin told the court her client had suffered developmental issues after witnessing brutal domestic violence perpetrated on a woman when he was young and had worked as a removalist since moving to Queensland three years ago.

Fewster, the defence said, was on meth when he attacked his victim, an addiction he had picked up when he moved to Queensland.

While reading a letter to the court, Fewster apologised to his victim and offered to reimburse her for her phone.

The defendant was sentenced to 10 months’ prison to be suspended after serving 92 days, over an operational period of 18 months.

Having served 87 days of pre-sentence custody, Fewster will be released on July 27.

A previous suspended jail sentence was also extended by 12 months and Fewster was ordered to reimburse his victim $300.

He was further placed on a non-contact order of two years.