Yonghe Cai threatened his family with an axe, knives and scissors over gambling debt

A Gold Coast man is facing deportation after a vicious attack on members of his own family during which he swung an axe while holding his infant son in his arms.

A MAN was so angered by his wife and parents’ attempts to pay his gambling debt that he threatened them with an axe, knives, scissors and broken wine bottles.

Yonghe Cai was also holding his infant son when he swung the axe at his father.

Moments earlier on May 21 last year he had used the tool to threatened his wife, swinging it to cut a bin lid sitting next to her.

Cai pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to serious assault, common assault, threatening violence and wilful damage.

Judge David Kent sentenced him to 15 months prison which was wholly suspended.

The 35-year-old has agreed to be voluntarily deported back to China at the conclusion of the legal proceedings.

He has been held in immigration detention since June this year.

“It hardly needs to be said that wielding the axe while holding a baby is extraordinarily dangerous criminal conduct,” he said.

The court was told Cai was living with his parents, wife and baby son in Broadbeach Waters when the group got into an argument about his $20,000 gambling debt.

His parents agreed to pay it but some conditions of the payment were broken.

During the argument Cai broke two bottles of wine, cutting his hand on a bottle.

He then demanded to hold his baby son and argued with his father before putting him in a headlock.

Cai then took two knives and was “swinging them around” so no one could approach him.

He dropped the knives and went outside and Cai’s wife followed.

It was then he picked up an axe and hit a rubbish bin lid.

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Cai went back into the house and, while holding the baby, cut off a fan blade and smashed some mirrors.

Cai’s mother was able to grab the baby and Cai’s father started to struggle with him.

Cai then armed himself with scissors and knives.

The court was told Cai left and called police, telling them he had killed someone.

Defence barrister Sarah Thompson, instructed by Allen & Searing Criminal Lawyers, said Cai’s family had stopped all contact with him since the incident.

“The effect of his deportation is going to be that he will continue to have no contact with family in any way … it is punishment way beyond what the court can order,” she said.

Ms Thompson said time in immigration detention had been hard during the pandemic as he was rarely allowed outside.