Phillip Anthony Smith drove into mother’s carer’s car on Arundel street

A Gold Coast man who deliberately crashed into his mother’s carer’s car and threatened to kill him was driven by intrusive thoughts amid declining mental health, a court has been told.

A Gold Coast man who deliberately crashed into his mother’s carer’s car and threatened to kill him was driven by intrusive thoughts amid a mental health episode, a court has been told.

Phillip Anthony Smith drove into the side of the other man’s car on Melbourne Rd, Arundel at about 4.20pm on December 5, 2022.

The force of the impact pushed the victim’s car off the road on to the footpath, where its driver remained trapped inside the wreckage.

Southport Magistrates Court was told a seemingly erratic Smith got out of his car and approached the other vehicle, yelling words to the effect of, “I’ll kill you next time – stay away from my girlfriend”. He was soon found at his mother’s home.

The other man had to be freed from his vehicle by emergency services and suffered “slightly serious” injuries.

Smith’s lawyer India Brady, of Bamberry Lawyers, said he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and spent the weeks following the crash receiving treatment in hospital.

Phillip Anthony Smith (left) leaving court with his mother, who supported him during his sentencing. Picture: Jessica Paul

Ms Brady said Smith ran out of his medication in the days leading up to the crash and his mental health soon declined, with the 39-year-old’s symptoms including intrusive thoughts that his mother’s carer had slept with his girlfriend and planned to kill him and his mother.

The court was told a report stated that, on the balance of probabilities, Smith was not deprived of the ability to know what he was doing or control his actions but was deprived of the capacity to know he ought not carry out the act.

“My client has absolutely no explanation for his offending other than those intrusive thoughts he was having at the time, and he is extremely remorseful,” Ms Brady said.

“He’s at a complete loss to explain why he would have acted in such a way … he considered the victim a father figure to him and they were very good friends.”

Ms Brady said the two men were no longer on speaking terms and that Smith had already paid his victim $2500 in compensation.

She told the court Smith was again under a treatment authority in addition to receiving private mental health care.

Smith was supported in court by his mother.

He pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. He was placed on probation for two years and disqualified from driving for 12 months.