Thomas Mook, Warrawong machete attack: Teen jailed after ‘gloating’ about vicious ambush
Two young men have been jailed for a savage machete attack on another man, which left him in a pool of blood and almost severed his hand.
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A violent teen boy who “gloated” about nearly chopping another man’s hand off with a machete in a horrifying attack has been jailed for more than eight years.
On Wednesday, Judge Andrew Haesler slammed the teen, who can’t be named for legal reasons, for his lack of remorse or will to change his life, labelling him a “danger to the public” during a sentencing hearing in the NSW District Court.
“(He) gloated to the victim … and is a continuing danger to the community,” he said.
While imposing a non-parole period of five years and nine months, Judge Haesler said the teen would unlikely be released to parole.
“That is tragic,” he said. “(It may be the case) that jail will not deter him but rather become a criminal learning environment.”
Thomas Mook, 22, who burnt the victim Dylan Sault with a blow torch following the violent attack, also faced court for sentencing, with Judge Haesler jailing him for a total of six years and nine months’ jail.
On Wednesday, the court heard the teen swung a machete at Mr Sault’s head during the
surprise attack in the carpark of the housing complex following an argument over the drug ice on March 12 last year.
According to court documents, the teenager walked toward the victim, holding the large knife above his head. In a bid to protect himself, the victim raised his arm toward the blade, with the blow almost cutting off his hand and wrist.
After the vicious blow, Mr Sault saw Mook approach, with Judge Haesler dubbing him a “figure in the shadows”, holding a blowtorch in one hand, and using the other to hide his face.
As he approached, court documents reveal Mook held the blowtorch close to the back of the victim’s head, burning him behind the ear.
Mook and the teenage boy then fled the unit block, leaving the victim in a pool of blood, fearing for his life.
Court documents reveal the victim screamed out “call an ambulance, call an ambulance, I’m going to die”, before nearby residents responded and contacted emergency services.
The victim was taken to Wollongong Hospital, before he was transferred to Sydney for emergency reconstructive surgery.
On Wednesday the court heard the attack left Mr Sault with a permanent disability and severe pain.
Through a victim impact statement, Sault told the court he was a “regular and happy person” prior to the attack, but now the pain in his hand was so bad that “at times” he thought he should “give up”. He also revealed he was looking into the possibility of amputation, given he has no function left in his hand.
The teenage boy was arrested the day after the attack, while Mook was arrested two weeks later, where he denied being involved in the assault, and said someone had stolen his blowtorch from him minutes prior to the attack.
But the 22-year-old changed his version of events at Wollongong Local Court earlier this year, pleading guilty to the charges of grievous bodily harm with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company.
On Wednesday, the court heard the teen had lengthy criminal history and spent his first night behind bars at just 10 years old.
Mook was given a non-parole period of four years, and with time already served will be eligible for parole in April 2023.