Convicted crim Joshua Denniss admits to horrific assault at Wollongong’s Adina Apartment Hotel
The man responsible for leaving a Wollongong hotel manager in an induced coma has confessed to his crimes. Find out what sparked the vicious attack.
Illawarra Star
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A convicted criminal has pleaded guilty to a shocking attack on a night manager of a Wollongong hotel which left him in an induced coma.
Joshua Denniss appeared in Wollongong Local Court via videolink on Wednesday with the 39-year-old pleading guilty to wounding with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
More serious charges of attempted murder and causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with the intent to murder were withdrawn upon the guilty plea to the lesser charge.
The court heard Denniss, who also goes by the name Michael Shaw, had been temporarily staying in the hotel after being released from custody in Queensland less than a week prior to the horror assault.
Denniss was on a suspended sentence from Queensland for “attacking a watch house officer”.
According to the documents tendered to the court, Dennis arrived at Wollongong police station just before 4am on August 30 less than an hour after an unprovoked attack on Amos Baker inside the Adina Apartment Hotel in the city’s CBD.
Denniss asked an officer for a cigarette with the officer replying ““What are you doing out at this time of night? What are you up to?”.
“I’ve murdered someone,” Denniss said as the officer noticed blood on the thug’s shirt, hands and face.
Denniss told police he “lost the plot” and “bashed him”.
Officers who rushed to the hotel found Mr Baker in the hotel office, attempting to administer first aid to himself.
He was taken to Wollongong Hospital with severe facial fractures and bleeding on the brain and was placed into an induced coma.
The victim underwent six operations over the following weeks and was transferred to Royal Ryde Hospital where he was released in January.
The court documents state Mr Baker still suffers cognitive impairment as a result of the brutal bashing.
Court documents state Denniss was staying at the Adina with his sister and a friend when he approached Mr Baker at the reception counter.
The two spoke briefly before Denniss attacked Mr Baker, punching him in the head and face and causing him to collapse on the ground.
The documents state Mr Baker lay motionless on the floor as Denniss continued the vicious assault, allegedly punching him more than 30 times.
CCTV footage of the incident shows Denniss then lay over the top of Mr Baker’s face for nearly a minute before getting up, stepping on his stomach and walking away.
The court was previously told that when interviewed, Denniss told police he’d murdered someone while going on to say “I, um, punched this guy’s face in” because “he wouldn’t let me back into the apartment”.
He then declined to continue with the interview.
Denniss will face Wollongong District Court next month to learn when he will be sentenced.
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