Man fronts court for attacking flatmate with a crowbar

A man took exception to being hit by his St Albans flatmate with an imitation firearm, so he responded by slugging his hapless mate 44 times with a crowbar.

A man recovered from behind bashed by his flatmate with an imitation firearm to turn on him with a crowbar.

A heated exchange between flatmates turned violent when one of them responded to being bashed with imitation firearm by belting his attacker — who miraculously survived — 44 times with a crowbar.

Thanh Nguyen, of St Albans, pleaded guilty on Friday in the County Court to one charge of intentionally causing serious injury in circumstances of gross violence, and was jailed for eight years and four months.

Nguyen and a flatmate began arguing in their St Albans rented property during dinner on May 1, 2022 and the heated exchange continued in to a garage which had been converted into a bedroom.

The victim had Nguyen on his knees and struck him three times on the upper body and head with the imitation firearm.

Nguyen suffered lacerations, abrasions, bruises and a lasting traumatic brain injury as a result of the attack.

He returned with a crowbar 25 minutes later and hit the victim with force three times. The third blow connected his flatmate on the head and he fell to the ground unconscious. The rest of the blows followed.

Witnesses heard arguing and moaning and called 000. The victim suffered facial lacerations and bruising, loss of teeth and jaw and skull fractures, a spinal fracture, a fractured sternum and ribs, eye bulging and brain bleeding.

Judge Robyn Harper said while Nguyen’s traumatic brain injury would have rendered him confused, disinhibited and inhibited his decision making at the time of his offending, it did not explain the viciousness of the attack.

A man paid a heavy price for attacking his flatmate with an imitation firearm.

“This is a serious example of a very serious offence. While you had been attacked with an imitation firearm, your reaction truly beggars belief,” Judge Robyn Harper said.

“He is fortunate to be alive and to not have suffered significant long term injuries. This was disgusting behaviour, with a weapon, while he is unconscious, for a sustained period, and to walk away for five minutes before resuming that attack, is horrific.

“I accept that he hit you first but that is absolutely no excuse for your conduct. It was brutal and it was vicious,” she said.

Alcohol and anger were also likely contributors of the assault, she said.

Nguyen must serve five years and six months before being eligible for parole.