Jayden Mason manslaughter death: Ben O’Brien, Ryan Paterson face sentencing
A man’s stomping death near a popular leagues club shocked the Central Coast. Now never-before-released video shows the moment two thugs chased him up the road.
Central Coast
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An “act of barbaric cowardice” is how a prosecutor described the moment Ryan Vincent Paterson leapt into the air with both feet before stomping onto the motionless head of Jayden Mason as he lay unconscious on the roadway.
The 37-year-old and his co-accused Benjamin Keith O’Brien faced a sentencing hearing at Newcastle Supreme Court on Thursday, which heard the pair were both on parole for separate, unrelated offences at the time of the sickening attack that claimed the life of 21-year-old Mr Mason.
Video played in court showed the first few seconds of the physical altercation on Lake Haven Drive outside the Wyong Leagues Club shortly before 10.30pm on Saturday, June 24, 2017.
It showed a shirtless O’Brien, 31, and Paterson trying to lay punches into Mason as he tries to run away.
In a moving victim impact statement from Mr Mason’s grandmother Debbie Mason, read out in court by a victim of crime advocate, she detailed the devastation caused by the loss of the popular Wyong local.
She recalled saying “I love you” on the phone to him not knowing at the time it would be their final words.
She said when he was on life support “he didn’t want to go” and a single tear ran down his cheek.
“Why these boys chased Jay on his own?” she asked.
“And to think they just left my boy there lifeless and alone ... and they returned to the club like nothing happened.”
Mr Mason’s younger brother James Mason also provided an impact statement to the court which said how close the pair were growing.
“I miss and love you so goddamn much,” he said.
Mr Mason’s uncle Brent Mason said in his statement how his nephew was celebrating getting a full-time job and his bright future was erased by a “pathetic drunken argument”.
O’Brien’s older sister gave evidence at the sentencing that they had grown up in a “dysfunctional” home, where both their parents drank heavily.
However the Crown Prosecutor told the court while their childhood might not have been one of middle class it was “not a life of disadvantage”.
The court heard O’Brien, of Norah Head, was on parole for commercial drugs supply while Paterson, of Erina, was on parole for recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm of a motorist having stomped on that person’s head and left him unconscious near the road.
Both pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter.
In relation to Paterson, Justice Stephen Rothman said “it’s difficult to imagine a manslaughter that’s worse?”
An agreed statement of facts tendered in court states O’Brien and Paterson had been drinking with friends at the Budgewoi Hotel from about 7pm when they caught a courtesy bus to Wyong Leagues Club — stopping at a friend’s house along the way to collect a six-pack of beers.
They got off the bus on Lake Haven Drive, opposite the leagues club, and were finishing their drinks when a shirtless Mason started “cursing up the road” at the group.
Words were exchanged and O’Brien and Paterson crossed the road yelling “come on c...”.
Paterson tried to punch Mason but missed and then O’Brien swung a punch but Mason was also able to avoid that before fleeing up the road.
Mr Mason tried to flag down an approaching motorist who later told police “the guy looked like he was shitting himself he looked that scared”.
Mr Mason tried to flag down another car and was about 165m north of the leagues club when O’Brien caught up to him and punched him, causing him to “buckle” onto the road.
“Mr Paterson kicked the deceased to the head like kicking a soccer ball,” the facts read.
“He was unconscious after the first kick.
“Mr Paterson kicked the deceased to the head a second time when his head was on the ground. Mr Paterson then stomped on the deceased’s head with two feet.”
They left him lying in the bicycle lane and started to walk back to the club when three cars came along.
The first swerved away from Mason before pulling up in front of him.
Two 17-year-old girls were driving in separate cars behind with the first car swerving right. However the girl behind in a gold Toyota Rav 4 struck her friend’s car and went straight towards the gutter.
“I felt the car scrape or go over something, it’s hard to describe,” she later told police.
“I felt it on the left side of the car. I didn’t see anything on the road at the time.”
Emergency services were called and Mason was taken to John Hunter Hospital where he was confirmed dead at 12.11am on June 25, 2107.
A week later on July 2, 2017, O’Brien rang Mr Mason’s uncle and apologised.
“I really want to say sorry for what’s happened I had no intentions for this to happen,” he told Mason’s uncle.
Justice Rothman will hand down their sentences next Thursday, March 12.