Harbord Diggers: Tradie jailed for breaking boss’s arm in lunchtime row

A tiler tradie who splintered his foreman’s arm with a chunk of metal in a lunchtime blue at a northern beaches club has been sentenced in Manly Local Court.

Yew Choy Chong, 47, of Campsie, outside Manly Local Court after pleading guilty to breaking his forearm's arm with a piece of metal during a workplace assault. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, but will serve that time in the community under an Intensive Corrections Order. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

A tradie who smashed his foreman’s arm with a hunk of metal — leaving a splintered bone poking through the man’s skin — during a violent disagreement at a northern beaches construction site,was sentenced to 12 months jail, to be served in the community.

Manly Local Court heard that Yew Choy Chong, 47, of Campsie, went into a “a rage” at the Harbord Diggers club at Freshwater because thought he heard racial slurs being shouted in the lunchtime row.

A lunchtime argument among tradies working on the car park at the Harbord Diggers club at Freshwater led to a foreman being taken to hospital with a smashed arm. File picture: Damian Shaw

Chong, a tiler, admitted to smashing his boss’s left arm with a one metre length of angled metal in the car park work site on March 23.

The blow from Chong left the victim’s smashed bone protruding from the skin. He was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital for surgery.

Chong pleaded guilty to one count of reckless grievous bodily harm. He was convicted.

In a facts sheet tendered to court police said that Chong, who is in Australia from Malaysia on a refugee bridging visa, was working on the club car park on March 23.

Police said a heated verbal argument started about midday in a meal room between the foreman and another building worker.

Yew Choy Chong, 46, of Campsie, outside Manly Local Court after pleading guilty to breaking his forearm's arm with a piece of metal during a workplace assault. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Police said Chong became concerned that the foreman was going to assault the other man.

Manly Court was told on Wednesday that Chong was upset after hearing racial slurs against Malaysians.

In the facts sheet police wrote than in an interview at Manly police station. Chong “made admission to being in a rage”.

“During this time (Chong) has armed himself with a heavy silver metal piece of angled construction material, approximately one metre in length,” police wrote in the facts sheet.

Chong then swung the length of metal at his foreman’s head.

“The victim raised his left forearm to defend himself and to stop the metal object striking him in the head,” police wrote.

The metal smashed into his left forearm, causing a compound fracture that needed surgery at Northern Beaches Hospital.

The victim had to have surgery to repair his broken arm at Northern Beaches Hospital at Frenchs Forest. Picture: Julie Cross.

Chong, who did not have a solicitor, told Magistrate Michelle Goodwin that he now realised the seriousness of his actions and her heart to “give me a chance”.

“I’ve turned over a new page,” he said through an interpreter. “I regret it very much.”

In sentencing Chong Ms Goodwin said she understood he had become upset.

“(but) there is never an excuse to resort to physical violence,” she said.

Ms Goodwin sentenced Chong to 12 months in jail, but he can serve that sentence in the community under a supervised Intensive Corrections Order.