Teen thug punched, kicked and stomped on mate’s head in jealous rage over girlfriend hug
A teen fresh out of youth detention has launched into a fit of rage and punched a friend unconscious before stomping on his head in front of frightened beachgoers in Frankston — all because the man embraced his girlfriend.
South East
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A jealous teenager punched a mate unconscious and then stomped on his head as he lay passed out on a Frankston beach simply because he had hugged his girlfriend.
The victim spent 18 days in hospital being treated for serious head trauma and a broken nose after the vicious attack in front of frightened beachgoers.
Gavin Carter was 18 at the time and had only been out of youth detention for two weeks when he launched the barbaric bashing.
Now 19, he pleaded guilty to intentional cause injury, affray and bail breach charges at Frankston Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The court heard Carter, of Frankston North, and a group of mates had been partying and drinking on the Frankston foreshore from around 4pm on March 9 this year.
At 7pm the group moved to an area near the lifesaving club and Carter and a couple of mates went to get more alcohol.
When they returned about 8pm Carter started arguing with the victim – supposedly his friend – and punched him twice to his face, knocking him out.
The man fell to the ground, and while he lay motionless Carter kicked him to the face and stomped on his head six or seven times.
Beachgoers ran off and paramedics were called, taking the victim to The Alfred for emergency treatment.
Carter was arrested nearby and admitted the assault.
When he was interviewed by police he said “I told him he’s not to get with my missus, then he hugged my missus, so I smacked him”.
He said he “can’t stand people hugging her in front of me” so he “got him a couple of times on the chin and kicked him in the mouth”.
He was bailed after the attack but then broke curfew and location conditions by being seen twice drinking in Frankston CBD.
He was arrested again on March 29 and remanded in custody.
His defence lawyer said Carter had an intellectual disability and “complicated personal circumstances” from incidents he didn’t want to air in open court.
He said “jealously got the better of him” and he was remorseful and apologetic.
Magistrate Vicky Prapas said jail was inevitable, it was just a matter of whether it was in adult prison or youth detention, and for what duration.
She asked police to speak to the victim for an impact statement and to ask how his rehabilitation was going.
Ms Prapas said she had to weigh up Carter’s intellectual disability and his personal history with his prior criminal past and protecting the public from him.
“It was a pretty brutal assault, hitting someone, them falling to the ground and then you laying into them with your boot, people die from that,” Ms Prapas said.
“It was really frightening for the witnesses, really frightening for the victim, there is no excuse for that.
“I will be locking you up, it is a question of where and for how long.”
Carter was remanded and will be sentenced on June 30.
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