Man assaulted in Coffs Harbour, four people face court

The men charged with the brutal bashing on the weekend range in age from 20 to 26. The 46-year-old alleged victim is from Coffs Harbour. Update here:

The alleged assault occurred on Bonville Street, Coffs Harbour in the early hours of Sunday, November 28. Four men were arrested at a unit in the same street.

The 46-year-old alleged victim of a brutal bashing in Coffs Harbour on the weekend remains in hospital.

He is a Coffs Harbour man and health authorities reported on Tuesday that his condition was ‘serious but stable’.

On Wednesday he was listed as ‘stable’.

On Monday the four young men charged with the brutal bashing appeared in court.

Dion Bridge-Johnson, 22, Ashley Mansfield, 26, Joshua Caulfield, 23 and Daniel Russell, 20, are charged with cause grievous bodily harm to person with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.

Police allege a 46-year-old man was approached by the four men before being punched repeatedly until he fell to the ground. He was then allegedly stomped on while unconscious.

Police were called to the scene at Bonville Street about 4am Sunday where they found the man unconscious with serious injuries.

He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to Coffs Harbour Base Hospital, where he was first reported to be in a critical condition.

A crime scene was established and a short time later, officers arrested Mr Bridge-Johnson at the scene.

He was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station.

After more inquiries, officers attended a unit on Bonville Street about 2pm Sunday and arrested Mr Mansfield, Mr Caulfield and Mr Russell.

All four were remanded in custody and appeared in court through an audio visual link on Monday.

First to appear was cleaner and father of six Mr Mansfield who, the court heard, was living with family members in Inverell to get a fresh start but was in Coffs Harbour on the weekend to see his children.

His defence lawyer applied for bail, outlining Mr Mansfield’s attempts to overcome a history of substance abuse, mainly methamphetamines.

She said Mr Mansfield had attended rehabilitation at Adele House and had abstained from narcotics for the past 10 months.

But Magistrate Ian Rodgers was not convinced bail was an option, and again outlined the severity of the victim’s injuries which included fractures to the face, shoulder and ribs and bleeding in the skull.

Mr Mansfield was refused bail to appear again in February, 2022.

Next to appear was Joshua Caulfield who was on parole at the time of the incident and was set to embark on an Engage2Change behavioural program.

The court heard that Mr 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.

Again, Mr Roberts would not grant bail and referred to a police report which alleged all four men continued to kick and punch the man when he was down on the ground.

Dion Bridge-Johnson, who lived in Sawtell with his parents, appeared next.

The court heard that Mr Bridge-Johnson returned to the scene of the assault and handed himself in to police. He was the first to be arrested in relation to the assault.

He wept in court as the matter was heard. He was denied bail and the matter adjourned to February 2022.

The youngest of the four co-accused, 20-year-old Daniel Russell, appeared next.

He lived with his mother and father in Urunga and while Magistrate Rodgers agreed with his defence that his “extremely young” age would make him vulnerable in jail, he would not grant him bail.

Mr Russell’s matters were also adjourned to February, 2022.