Joshua Denniss jailed for horrific bashing of Wollongong hotel night manager

A highly-drunk man has been jailed for 10 years after he punched a hotel night manager more than 30 times as he lay unresponsive “in a sustained, ferocious violent” attack.

Joshua Denniss, was jailed for bashing a night manager in the Adina Apartment Hotel in Wollongong in 2022. Picture: Facebook

A highly-drunk man has been jailed for 10 years after he punched a hotel night manager more than 30 times as he lay unresponsive “in a sustained, ferocious violent” attack.

Joshua Denniss, 40, pleaded guilty to wounding with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was sentenced in Wollongong District Court to 10 years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of seven years.

The court heard Denniss, who also goes by the name Michael Shaw, had been temporarily staying in the Adina Apartment Hotel in the city’s CBD with his sister and a friend after being released from custody in Queensland less than a week prior to the horror assault.

Denniss approached Amos Baker and the two spoke briefly, with Denniss claiming the worker wouldn’t let him back into his hotel room.

Denniss punched him in the head and face, causing him to collapse on the ground.

An image from CCTV of the incident. Picture: Supplied

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.

Dennis walked to Wollongong police station just before 4am on August 30, less than an hour after the unprovoked attack.

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 before saying he had “lost the plot” and “bashed him”.

Officers rushed to the hotel and found Mr Baker in the hotel office, attempting to administer first aid to himself.

The Adina Apartment Hotel

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 heard Mr Baker sustained multiple facial fractures, brain bleeds, an acquired brain injury, tongue laceration and also had to be treated for infection and pneumonia before he was released from hospital in January 2023.

“He continues to suffer from cognitive and executive brain function,” Judge Sharon Harris said.

Mr Baker requires ongoing rehabilitation and care with daily tasks, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, speech pathology, and psychology to deal with distressing topics and social engagements.

The court heard he can no longer ride his motorcycle, enjoy his favourite meals and has memory difficulties.

Judge Harris accepted Mr Baker’s “injuries were significant and life altering” and he would need ongoing treatment for the foreseeable future.

Joshua Denniss

Judge Harris said Denniss’ actions were “unplanned and unprovoked” and there was “no justifiable reason” for the night manager to be attacked when he was working.

“He acted with sustained, ferocious violence, with multiple acts of violent punches to the head as he lay unresponsive,” she said.

“The offender continued unabated while the victim was bleeding, injured and unable to defend himself,” she said.

Judge Harris said it was “soul-wrenching” to see on CCTV Mr Baker’s attempts to get up and fall back down following the attack.

The court heard Denniss consumed 20 beers and 10 cocktails the previous day and had been drinking heavily since he was released from prison.

Judge Harris noted Denniss had a lengthy criminal history with periods of imprisonment for break and enters, intimidation, and domestic violence assaults and contravening apprehended domestic violence orders.

Denniss was on a suspended sentence from Queensland for “attacking a watch house officer” prior to returning to Wollongong.

She accepted Denniss’ long substance abuse was a coping mechanism to deal with his difficult upbringing and contributed to his poor mental health and offending.

The court heard Denniss was remorseful for this conduct and he made a brief apology to Mr Baker in court on Friday where he apologised for the harm he caused him and his family.

The court heard Denniss had anti-social personality disorder, anxiety and depression and Judge Harris said his prospects of rehabilitation were “guarded.”

He will be eligible for release to parole on August 29, 2029.