John William Phillips sentenced in Southport Magistrates Court after dousing man, 60s, in ‘kerosene’

A man in his 60s was momentarily blinded after being doused with a kerosene-like liquid by a stranger outside a Gold Coast business. FULL DETAILS

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A man in his 60s was momentarily blinded after being doused with a kerosene-like liquid in a shocking attack outside a Gold Coast business.

Southport Magistrates Court was told the man was reading a magazine in his car while waiting for his wife on November 26, 2019 when John William Phillips pulled up beside him.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Glenn Whittle said Phillips “raised his middle finger” at the other man as he got out of his car and made his way into the nearby Anaconda store.

Sgt Whittle said the 53-year-old started arguing with the man when he returned to his car, suddenly squirting a bottle of kerosene “or a similar liquid” all over the man’s face and upper body.

It was heard Phillips’ victim lost his vision for several seconds and swallowed some of the liquid, causing immediate pain. He later received medical treatment.

Phillips fled the scene in his car.

He was later identified by police reviewing CCTV footage from inside the Anaconda store, where Phillips was seen purchasing several items.

Defence lawyer Chelsea Cross, of Legal Aid Queensland, said her client had ongoing mental and physical health concerns that had made the months already spent in custody difficult.

Ms Cross said the former mining manager was in July sentenced to more than five years behind bars for robbery and serious assault offences, meaning any further jail time should be served alongside his existing sentence.

Magistrate Pamela Dowse sentenced Phillips to 12 months’ jail with immediate parole eligibility for the serious assault of a person over 60.

“(It was) a dreadful thing to do to that man in that carpark – dreadful,” Ms Dowse said.

Phillips also pleaded guilty to several unrelated offences.