Gold Coast Court: Kenneth Albert Stanley sentenced for driving at his neighbour and breaking his leg
A photographer suffered a minor injury amid angry scenes outside court today after a man appeared accused of deliberately driving his car into a neighbour. SEE THE PICTURES AND VIDEO
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A Gold Coast commodore drove directly at a man on his Upper Coomera street, breaking his leg, because he was frustrated by noise neighbours made revving a go-kart.
Southport Coast Guard Commodore Kenneth Albert Stanley, who previously won an award for a daring sea rescue, showed little remorse when he appeared in Southport District Court today.
Judge Catherine Muir said the action was “deliberate” and Stanley had the “intention to scare him (the victim)”.
“Using a vehicle as a weapon, if you like, as to frighten someone is pretty serious offending,” she said.
Judge Muir sentenced Stanley to 18 months prison, wholly suspended, for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing grievous bodily harm for the July 1, 2017 incident.
His driver’s licence was suspended for a year.
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Outside of court, one of Stanley’s supporters, an older woman, lashed out at a Bulletin photographer, hitting his camera away repeatedly.
The photographer was left with a cut on his forehead.
Stanley tried to pull the woman away.
Before she lashed out the woman claimed she had been pushed but a review of the footage showed no one touched the woman.
When Stanley last appeared in court in December, the same woman grabbed the phone of a Bulletin reporter.
The court was told Stanley, 67, got in his son’s car on Forest Oak Drive, Upper Coomera after he and Bruce Pinkerton had argued about noise made by revving the go-kart.
Mr Pinkerton was with the go-kart’s owner, Forest Oak Drive resident Jeff Evans, when he went to talk to Stanley.
Crown prosecutor Matt Hynes said: “Mr Pinkerton walked towards the defendant’s car as (Stanley) was reversing down the street … he then drove at him.
“I can’t accept that he was not attempting to injure or at least attempting to scare him.”
In December last year, Mr Pinkerton explained to the court what had happened.
“I approached the car because it was a ridiculous over-reaction and I told him to take the car home before someone got hurt,” he said.
Mr Pinkerton said Stanley yelled back at him.
“He said, ‘when he comes back I am going to run him (Mr Evans) over and kill him’,” he said.
The crash left Mr Pinkerton with a broken right leg which required the insertion of a plate and 11 pins.
Stanley’s barrister Anthony Jamieson tendered references form a number of people including Southport MP Rob Molhoek and Southport councillor Dawn Crichlow.
Mr Jamieson said Stanley would not be able to continue to volunteer as a Coast Guard if a conviction was recorded.
“This man is an exceptional member of the community,” he said.
“It is not often I have the opportunity to represent someone in the court who has substantial references.”
Mr Jamieson argued the incident was only a matter of seconds.
He said Stanley was “truly sorry” for the injury he caused Mr Pinkerton.
Mr Pinkerton said outside court he would be “very disappointed” if Stanley ever held a position with the Coast Guard again.
“You can’t have somebody like that in charge of community operations,” he said.
“He has a bad temper.”
Mr Pinkerton said he “still had nightmares” and pain in his leg.
He said he was a bit “disappointed” with the sentence.
“Them’s the breaks,” he said.
“I’m just glad I don’t have to come to court any more.”
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