Thomas Patrick Duffy in court for public urinating, obstructing police

A FIFO worker, previously convicted after attacking a man in a pub, has faced court after a drunken night at Stradbroke Island’s bowls club ended in chaos.

Thomas Duffy, 31, outside Cleveland Magistrates Court.

A Stradbroke Island Fly-In-Fly-Out (FIFO) worker has been told he was behaving like a “pork chop” by a bayside Magistrate after a drunken night at a bowls club ended in disaster.

Dunwich resident, Thomas Patrick Duffy, 31, pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court today, January 30, to one count of committing a public nuisance within a licenced premise and one count of serious obstruction of a police officer.

The court heard Duffy was at the Point Lookout Bowls club on North Stradbroke Island on October 28 last year when police were called.

“Police were alerted that he was urinating within the smoking area of the bowls club,” the police prosecutor said.

“Staff observed him to be urinating in a garden hedge (and) requested he be removed due to his level of intoxication.”

Police asked Duffy to leave the bows club, however, he refused.

“He began moving his arms around and stopped walking in an attempt to stay at the premises,” the police prosecutor said.

“He was slurring his words and unsteady on his feet.

“He continued to obstruct police by refusing to leave.

“He continued to resist police by attempting to wrestle out of their hold.

“He leant forward, clenched his fists and tensed up, he then immediately released backwards and a police officer was forced backwards onto his knees.”

The court heard Duffy had also been convicted of assault occasioning bodily harm on February 19, 2021 at the Stradbroke Island Beach Hotel.

“There was a verbal altercation, he pushed (the victim) backwards over tables and chairs and struck him in the right side of the head with his knee and struck again in the mouth area,” the police prosecutor said.

Duffy’s lawyer, Ali Rana, said his client, who was a FIFO mines worker, had on and off alcohol problems.

“Two months prior to this event, my client’s childhood best friend took his life,” Mr Rana said.

“He says he was trying to find solace at the bottom of the bottle so to speak.”

Magistrate Deborah Vasta said Duffy needed to control his alcohol consumption.

“You have had quite a few altercations when you’ve been drinking in public areas,” Ms Vasta said.

“You can see now that the alcohol has never made things better.

“It makes people behave like a pork chop.

“It’s a drug, it’s addictive.”

Duffy was convicted and given 60 hours of community service along with a two year probation order.