Travis King: Late-night sibling argument lands brother in hospital

A Ballarat bricklayer and stonemason fractured his brother’s rib and punctured his lung because he was irritated by his loud video-game-playing.

A Ballarat bricklayer and stonemason fractured his brother’s rib and punctured his lung because he was irritated he was playing video games “too loud”, a court has heard.

Travis King, 42 and born in Melbourne, was sentenced for one charge of common assault — to which he earlier pleaded guilty — at Ballarat County Court on April 8.

The court heard on August 17, 2019, King was living with his brother and mother.

Before midnight, King went into his brother’s room yelling at him that he was being too loud.

His brother slammed the door shut.

When the mother was woken by the row, she got out of bed and went with King into the brother’s room.

King pushed his brother, who fell back against a dresser, hearing and feeling his ribs crack.

The brother became short of breath and was in pain on the floor of the bedroom.

He then followed King out of the room and threatened not to help him with a family matter.

The two ended up wrestling on the floor, the injured brother struggling to breathe.

King put his full weight on his brother and told him not to threaten him.

When the mother took the brother to Ballarat Hospital, a doctor said he had a fractured rib, fractured collarbone, and punctured lung.

King was later arrested.

In a victim impact statement, the brother said the fight had caused a breakdown within the family and he now found it hard to trust others.

Judge Wraight said King had demonstrated genuine remorse.

“What can be said is that you were angry and failed to contain that anger, leading to a physical assault on your brother,” he said.

“What then followed was not intended by you, nor could it be said that you were reckless as to that outcome.”

King was put on a good behaviour bond for 12 months, during which he must complete a behavioural change program and pay $500 to the court.