Ammaron Gudgeon from Hamilton sentenced for assaulting son

The riot squad had to be called in to arrest a father who got so drunk he punched his son while he was showering at a home in Sydney’s north.

Ammaron Gudgeon outside Hornsby Local Court.

A bricklayer walked in on his son showering and assaulted him after being so drunk he was unable to recognise him.

Ammaron Gudgeon, 44, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and appeared at Hornsby Local Court on May 30.

Police facts state Gudgeon, a bricklayer from New Zealand was visiting his family on May 24 and watched his son’s rugby game while drinking about eight beers.

Gudgeon demanded they kept drinking after the game, so the pair went to Greengate Hotel before heading to Pymble Hotel – where more drinks were consumed, police facts state.

The pair left the hotel at about 10pm and went to the son’s home.

Gudgeon was so drunk he could no longer recognise his son, and walked in while his son was showering before confronting him, the court heard.

“Who the f*ck are you? You don’t live here,” Gudgeon said to his son. His son replied: “I am your son”.

The Greengate Hotel.

Gudgeon then said: “You’re not my son”, before throwing three punches to his face.

Facts state only one punch landed and his son reacted by punching Gudgeon several times to the face, causing cuts around his eye sockets and a “large amount of bleeding”.

Gudgeon was pushed into the bathtub and had to be restrained by his son, as the shower glass shattered.

Gudgeon continued to throw punches at his son who yelled for his wife to call triple-0.

Facts state police had to call the Police Public Order and Riot Squad as Gudgeon continued to act “volatile” as they arrived.

The father was eventually extracted out of the unit complex and police facts state he was too drunk to be interviewed.

Defence lawyer Warren Yi said Gudgeon had no criminal record in Australia and the violent act was “out of character”.

“It was at the end of a pleasant night with his family,” Mr Yi said.

Police Public Order and Riot Squad.

Mr Yi told the court Gudgeon had consumed so much beer he had no recollection of the night.

“All he remembers was being at the pub, then being in the bathroom wet and getting handcuffed,” Mr Yi said.

Mr Yi said there was nothing malicious about the crime and Gudgeon maintained a loving relationship with his family.

“He drank too much and feels deeply ashamed. He told me he ‘f–ked it up’,” Mr Yi said.

Gudgeon’s son appeared in court supporting his father – who had black eyes.

Magistrate Alexander Mijovich said he was limited in sentencing options given Gudgeon was heading back to Hamilton, New Zealand for work.

Community correction orders and intensive correction orders with supervision and enforceable conditions cannot be imposed upon people who do not reside in NSW and cannot be monitored by community corrections.

“You were so drunk you couldn’t recognise your son in his own home and started throwing punches – think about how your son had to respond,” Mr Mijovich said.

Gudgeon was convicted and fined $2000.