Eildon Holiday Resort: Stuart Longhurst jailed for bashing guest, threatening pregnant woman
The hothead owner of a popular Victorian holiday resort has been lashed by a judge after he bashed an ex-serviceman guest and threatened to kill a woman’s unborn baby.
North West
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A hothead resort owner savagely bashed a guest and threatened to ”kick the f*** out” of a pregnant woman until her unborn baby died, a court has heard.
Eildon Holiday Resort owner Stuart Longhurst, 50, was sentenced in the County Court on March 13 to a minimum two years and four months’ jail after pleading guilty to the violent offences.
Longhurst harassed pregnant bartender Holly Darby while he was highly intoxicated late on New Year’s Eve 2018.
Guest Terry Glassborow – an ex-serviceman and former president of the Mornington RSL – tried to calm Longhurst down.
Longhurst punched Mr Glassborow twice, and then kicked him from behind.
About 20 minutes Longhurst marched to Mr Glassborow’s van and ripped the door off its hinges.
Longhurst kneed his victim in the chest, and then continuously punched him in the head.
He then marched to Ms Darby’s van.
“I am gunna kick the f*** out of you until that baby inside of you dies,” he said as part of a explatit
Longhurst, accompanied by his lawyer, handed himself in to police on January 4.
His claim Mr Glassborow attacked first was debunked by CCTV footage.
In his victim statement, Mr Glassborow, who suffered a broken eye socket, said he “endures constant pain”.
Mr Glassborow said he was a “very fit and active man” prior to the attack but now suffers “depression, anxiety and panic attacks”.
Longhurst told a psychologist he drank “15 pots of beer” every evening at work.
He described himself as a “rough and ready” person who becomes “relatively easily frustrated” when things don’t work out.
Longhurst’s violent priors include multiple charges of assaulting police, intentionally causing injury and making a threat to kill.
Longhurst was on a community correction order he copped just weeks before the assault after he attempted to intimidate a former female bar manager at the Resort.
The bartender had provided a police statement in another criminal proceeding involving Longhurst.
His defence counsel said it was a “big ask” but Longhurst should receive time served and a “lengthy” community corrections order.
Judge Mark Taft said that was an “impossible ask”.
“You (Longhurst) have a history of violent, boorish behaviour,” Judge Taft said.
“The trajectory of your offending is escalating.
“Your use of alcohol and its association with your offending in no way excuses your conduct. “You attacked a much older man, pursued him, entered his home and fractured his eye socket during the course of your persistent attack upon him.
“When bashing on the door of Ms Darby, who was six months’ pregnant, your threat to kick her until ‘that baby inside of you dies’ was disgraceful.”
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Longhurst – who had spent 63 days in custody at the time of sentencing – was jailed for a maximum of four years.