Gwandalan: Joel Luke West pleads guilty to shocking assault with shovel

A man has pleaded guilty to his part in a shocking brawl in which he attacked victims with a shovel leaving one with a “massive cut” to the back of his head.

A man has pleaded guilty to his part in a wild brawl sparked by damage caused to a victim’s lawn from an out-of-control car, a court has heard.

Joel Luke West, of Summerland Point, faced Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to reckless wounding and grievous bodily harm in company, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.

The 27-year-old was not required to appear via video link while his solicitor formally entered the pleas on his behalf.

An agreed set of facts states a couple arrived at their home on Imga St, Gwandalan, about 5.30pm on February 19 last year when they saw their front lawn was torn up by tyre marks as if someone had “lost control”.

West was not required to appear at Wyong Local Court where his solicitor entered pleas on his behalf. Picture: file

The tyre marks went from the street, across their lawn to the side Colorbond fence, which was also damaged.

They reviewed CCTV footage from the front of their home and saw a grey Suzuki Swift skidding across their lawn.

They showed the footage to their next-door neighbour who immediately recognised the car as one which had been doing handbrake turns earlier in the day and was involved in an accident out the front of their house weeks before.

The two male neighbours and another man went to the car owner’s house, where the vehicle was parked outside, to speak to him about paying for the damage to the front yard and fence but no one was home.

The house was near Gwandalan Bowling Club so the three men went inside and recognised the car owner’s brother in the gaming room.

The car was parked near Gwandalan Bowling Club so the three men went inside. Picture: file

The court heard they approached the man, who was joined by West and another man, and there was some pushing and shoving before the two groups were separated.

A sort time later the two groups again confronted each other in the gaming room where punches were thrown and “CCTV footage showed a number of people were involved”.

Security staff separated the two groups who left before police arrived shortly before 7pm.

The neighbours, who’s grass was damaged by the car, returned home where they were joined by family and friends who had heard what happened to the front yard and the fight at the bowling club.

The court heard by about 9pm most people had gone home when West, the car owner’s brother and a third man arrived at the neighbours’ home armed with a shovel, a metal bar and a baseball bat respectively.

West was armed with a metal shovel which he used to hit three men. (File image)

The first neighbour confronted them out the front where West bludgeoned him across the back of the head with the shovel, the facts state, before hitting him again in the ribs.

“As a result of the assault, (the victim) was knocked unconscious,” the facts state.

“The next thing he recalled was being in the back of the ambulance with a `massive cut’ to the back of his head.”

The two other men with West also allegedly hit the first victim as he lay on the ground before other neighbours intervened.

West swung the shovel at another man and struck him over the back of the head, knocking him unconscious to the ground.

He also hit a third man with the shovel who was punched or hit with a baseball bat by his co-accused, the court heard.

Police were called but West and his two co-accuseds had left.

The first victim was taken to hospital with a 10cm gash to the back of his head, which required 10 staples, a broken nose and other cuts and abrasions.

He also suffered significant bruising to his ribs “with the shape of the shovel clearly imprinted within this bruise”, the facts state.

His neighbour suffered a 5cm cut to the side of his head from the shovel as well as a broken jaw, which required two metal plates to be inserted.

West was arrested and charged about a month later with one of his co-accuseds, who police will allege was armed with the baseball bat.

West was adjourned to face sentencing on April 4 while his co-accused has pleaded not guilty and will face trial in Gosford District Court in November.