Apollo Bay man James Gray jailed for stabbing man in neck with beer bottle

A man who stabbed an Apollo Bay Hotel patron in the neck with a broken beer bottle has learned his fate.

James Gray stabbed a man with a broken beer bottle at the Apollo Bay Hotel. Picture: Supplied.

A man who stabbed an Apollo Bay Hotel patron in the neck with a broken beer bottle has been handed a jail sentence.

James Gray, 35, hospitalised his victim with puncture wounds and lacerations after a heated argument escalated into a brutal pub fight.

The Apollo Bay local was sentenced to 10 months’ jail on Thursday after pleading guilty to recklessly causing injury and using obscene language in the Geelong Magistrates Court early last month.

In January this year, Gray approached the man and his friends, who were strangers to him, and a heated argument broke out.

Gray slashed and stabbed the man, landing several blows with a broken beer bottle to the man’s stomach, neck and elbow.

He later told police it was “self-defence”.

A few months later, Gray became verbally abusive with staff at the Geelong hospital after being medically discharged.

He was heard yelling at a Covid greeter at the entrance, telling staff they, “have no right to take away my f------ meds (sic)”.

While being led away, Gray yelled, I’m going to get you”.

Gray’s lawyer, Jennifer Ball, told the court on Thursday he has been diagnosed with anti-social personality traits and borderline personality disorder, which she said “provides … some explanation of the behaviour that occurred, particularly in Apollo Bay”.

She said Gray was planning on moving to Queensland when he’s freed to “get himself out of the Apollo Bay area” and away from peers.

On his criminal history, including for similar crimes, Magistrate Peter Mellas said Gray had a “track record of causing harm” and the “incident when a man was stabbed is an example of that”.

“I accept … some of your reaction would have been a sense of being attacked by other people, but there is a lead up to that and that is the way you behaved in the first place,” Mr Mellas said.

“Someone was injured to the extent they needed to be hospitalised.”

Referring to the obscene language at the hospital, Mr Mellas said the staff were “there trying to help him”.

“He was, on one view, just simply annoyed that they weren’t prepared to do what he wanted to do. That is a concern.

“There needs to be a measure of community protection,” he said.

Gray has served 225 days already on remand, meaning he has just two-and-a-half months left on his 10-month imprisonment term.

Originally published as Apollo Bay man James Gray jailed for stabbing man in neck with beer bottle