Ballarat tradie Aaron Devereux fronts court for bullying young apprentice

A Ballarat tradie recorded himself bullying a colleague over seven months, including filming his workmate being briefly hung with a noose around his neck.

Aaron Devereux, 23, recorded himself bullying a colleague.

A tradie recorded himself bullying a colleague over seven months, including filming his workmate being briefly hung with a noose around his neck.

Aaron Devereux’s sickening behaviour against a 17-year-old apprentice was highlighted in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court where he pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of stalking.

Devereux, 23, will be sentenced at a later date.

He and the first-year apprentice were working for Celsius Heating and Cooling in Bakery Hill when the bullying started just a month after the latter started work in mid-2022.

Prosecutor Bianca Moleta said between July 2022 and February 2023, Devereux began engaging in a series of abusive, intimidating and/or offensive behaviour towards his colleague.

They included shooting a nail gun at or in his direction, pouring a bucket containing paint and water over his head, spraying his hair blue with marking spray and spitting at his head.

Aaron Devereux filmed a colleague being briefly hung with a noose around his neck.

Devereux hit the apprentice, filmed him while he was on the ground, and could be heard saying “I didn’t hit you that hard. Stop f----- around. Next time I will king hit ya, c---.”

He filmed himself grabbing his colleague’s head and making derogatory comments.

Devereux also filmed himself asking him “do you give me full reign to f----- rail ya mum?

Devereux made numerous offensive comments about the apprentice’s dead father.

In February 2023, the apprentice felt peer-pressured to place his head within a noose tied from available trusses at a work site in Ballarat.

Two other work colleagues allegedly tied his ankles and wrists before lifting him off the ground, causing his body weight to be placed on to his neck for about three seconds.

Devereux sent the video of the noose incident to people he worked with via Snapchat.

Aaron Devereux sent a video of a colleague he bullied being hung off a noose to people he worked with at Celsius Heating and Cooling in Ballarat.

Co-accused Benjamin Foy will appear in court in late April while a 26-year-old work colleague was sentenced to be of good behaviour for 10 months in August last year for his role in the noose incident.

The victim was referred to a psychologist for trauma counselling and he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder likely to be from prolonged emotional and physical abuse at workplace.

Ms Moleta said a vulnerable person was subjected to cruel, humiliating and degrading treatment and that it was fortuitous he didn’t suffer serious injuries from the noose incident.

Devereux told the court he didn’t realise the impact of his behaviour at the time but understood that now.