Michael Trout gets community service for Holloways Beach vigilante attack
A magistrate has condemned former politician Michael Trout's "nightmare" vigilante action against two innocent victims, including a female boxing champion he once celebrated.
Former MP Michael Trout, who punched an “innocent” woman in the face in an act of misdirected, vigilante-fueled violence in Holloways Beach, has been sentenced to 60 hours community service with no conviction recorded after pleading guilty to affray.
Trout and his younger brother Luke, were said to be “the aggressors” in a nighttime street fight in Alamanda Street after a day of simmering tensions and a protest in the beachside suburb over break-ins and youth crime.
The people assaulted in the melee on May 17, 2024, were innocent visitors to the street; Leah Kawane, the woman struck by Trout, is a champion boxer who has previously been given a sporting award by Trout.
Her partner, Jesse Howie, who rushed to her aid and suffered two broken bones when another man entered the affray with a bat, is the son of Trout’s family friend, Darren Howie who, like Trout, was also a member of the local branch of the Liberal National party.
Magistrate Terence Browne said the lives of the victims and their families had been turned upside down.
“It’s an absolute nightmare for the victims - they were innocent, going about their lives, confronted by you - motivated by beliefs that were entirely incorrect,” he said.
“Your conduct could only be described as taking the law into your own hands. We cannot allow our society to descend down that path.”
“Mr Howie feared for his life .. His personality has changed as a result of this and he has conflict from the community about what happened.”
Ms Kawane, who is the current WBC Australian champion, said she was trying to focus on her goals, but had lost faith.
“With Trout being who he is or was, I can’t honestly say I trust anyone in this (court)room, right down to my my lawyers - I feel everyone is working for him,” she said in her victim impact statement.
“I fear they will break in and murder us in our sleep for even talking, taking this to court - I didn’t want to go through with any of this, ... saying all that, I have forgiven so I can continue on with being the role model I am today.”
Michael John Trout, 63, farmer and former LNP member for Barron River between 2012-2015, and his brother Luke Norman Trout, 42, a farm machinery business owner, each pleaded guilty to affray - a misdemeanour charge that carries a one-year maximum sentence, and were sentenced to 60 hours community service.
Originally, the brothers were charged with more serious offences, one of which has a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment: assault occasioning bodily harm, aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm and stalking.
No evidence was offered on those more serious charges and the brothers pleaded guilty instead to the replacement charge of affray, an issue highlighted by Magistrate Browne when he imposed his sentences, which he said might seem “strange”.
“It is important to reflect on the fact that this court is only being called to punish each of Michael and Luke Trout for effectively causing a scene by fighting ... the court is not punishing either of you today for assaulting Ms Kawane or Mr Howie,” Mr Browne said.
“The other information can only be used to establish this is a far more serious example of causing affray.”
Among the other information aired in court was allegations of youth crime, community tensions, break-ins at Luke Trout’s house, and a visit from the Trouts to the same house where the affray took place in the weeks before.
Defence solicitor Bebe Mellick told the court a quad bike, e-bike and fuel were stolen from Luke Trout’s house earlier that month.
Mr Mellick said the brothers also participated in a community protest earlier in the day where “members of the crowd were making threats of violence towards members of the household where the offences had occurred.”
Tensions escalated again in the evening when Luke Trout’s wife called to say there were people outside threatening to fire bomb their house.
The brothers called the police and asked a friend, who lived nearby, to check in on their Holloways Beach homes.
That friend, Eric Frederick Forster, 42, also appeared before the Cairns Magistrates Court this week, where he pleaded guilty to affray and aggravated assault occasioning bodily harm.
The court was told Forster arrived on the scene with his cousin, who brought a bat with him, and used it to set upon Mr Howie and Ms
Kawane.
The cousin has died recently, the court was told, and Forster was a party to the violence, not a participant.
Forster was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 15 months and his convictions were recorded.
Prosecutor Tom Feeney said the situation was a “textbook example of why vigilantism cannot be tolerated”.
“Michael Trout commenced the public fight by punching a woman in the face ... it represents a level of civil unrest that is intolerable. Their conduct arises because they thought they could take the law into their own hands.” Mr Feeney said.
Neither of the injured victims attended the sentence, but Jesse Howie’s father, Darren Howie, a former friend of Michael Trout attended.
Outside court, he said he was relieved “the truth” had finally come out and said he would now focus on civil action after their family name had been “dragged through the mud”.
“It’s good because we have exposed the lie; the community service is something but a conviction would have been nice,” he said.
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Originally published as Michael Trout gets community service for Holloways Beach vigilante attack
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