Coffs Harbour assault co-accused case adjourned to July 12

A woman was allegedly stalked in the lead up to a brutal bashing that left a man fighting for his life. Four young men have been charged and the case continues before Coffs court, see the latest:

A woman was allegedly stalked in the moments leading up to a brutal bashing on a Coffs Harbour street late last year that left a man fighting for his life.

Dion Bridge-Johnson, 22, Ashley Mansfield, 26, Joshua Caulfield, 23 and Daniel Russell, 20, are facing charges in relation to the alleged assault in the early hours of Sunday, November 28.

Police allege the man was approached by the four before being punched repeatedly until he fell to the ground. He was then allegedly stomped on while unconscious.

Officers were called to the scene at Bonville Street about 4am, when they found the man unconscious with serious injuries.

The man was taken to Coffs Harbour Base Hospital in a critical condition and a few days later was reported to be in a “stable” condition.

He sustained facial, shoulder and rib fractures and bleeding within the skull, according to court documents.

Their matters were mentioned in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday, May 24.

All four have been charged with causing grievous bodily harm to person with intent; assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

Mansfield has also been charged with ‘stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm’ and court papers reveal this was in relation to an alleged female victim between 2am and 3.55am – just prior to the alleged assault of the man who was 46 at the time.

Following the alleged assault all four were remanded in custody but Russell and Bridge-Johnson have since been released on bail.

As part of his bail conditions Russell must live with his parents in Urunga and cannot leave the home unless in the company of one of his parents. He must also report to the Urunga police station daily.

Bridge-Johnson is on bail, living at his mother’s house in Sawtell, and must report to Coffs Harbour police station daily. The court had previously heard that Bridge-Johnson was the first of the four to be arrested after returning to the scene of the alleged assault and handing himself in.

Mansfield, the oldest of the four, was denied bail.

At the time of the alleged assault the court heard Mansfield was the father of six children and in a letter to the court, his partner – and the mother of four of his children – said she was pregnant with another of his children due in April this year.

References tendered to the court from a cleaning business with which he had been employed, said he was a reliable, hard worker.

Caulfield has also been remanded in custody since the alleged assault. In November last year when the matter first came before the court it was heard that Caulfield, who was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia, worked at the Coffs Harbour Racetrack and had a six-year-old daughter who he had custody of on weekends.

All four co-accused have had their matters adjourned to July 12.