Craig Stephenson avoids jail for running over man in Werribee Hungry Jack’s carpark
A long-running online feud between two men has spilled into real life when a chance meeting in a Werribee fast-food carpark led to one running over the other in his car, causing a brain injury and a broken leg so horrific there were bones sticking out.
Wyndham Leader
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An angry dad who mowed down a man he had been embroiled in a nasty Facebook feud with during a chance meeting in the carpark at a Hoppers Crossing Hungry Jack’s has been spared a lengthy jail sentence.
Craig Stephenson, 46, pleaded guilty over the September 2015 attack outside the Werribee Plaza fast-food outlet, which left Christopher Hepburn with severe injuries, including a shattered knee, multiple arm and leg fractures, a partial forehead scalping and a brain injury that affected his vision and memory.
At the time, Mr Hepburn was left in “excruciating” pain and saw he had bones sticking out of his leg.
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The County Court heard Mr Hepburn made a number vile threats against Stephenson and his family via Facebook in the months prior to the incident, including threatening to sexually assault his three-year-old daughter.
Mr Hepburn had also smashed a bottle of port into the driver’s side window of Stephenson’s car several minutes before the vehicular attack.
Judge Liz Gaynor said Stephenson, who has a sordid criminal past which includes theft, assault and drug use and has repeatedly sought treatment for drug addiction, had been “impulsive” when he drove at Mr Hepburn in a fit of rage and he deserved another chance to get his life on the straight and narrow.
“I do not … regard you as being of great threat to the community,” she said.
“I regard you as having reasonable prospects of rehabilitation and given your background and your very longstanding addiction to drugs I think in the circumstances you have done enough for me to be satisfied that a further attempt at final rehabilitation is worthwhile in your case.”
Judge Gaynor, on December 14 last year, sentenced Stephenson to a three-year community corrections order, including 300 hours of unpaid community work.
He must also complete an anger management program and attend treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.
Stephenson was also made to forfeit his car and had his licence cancelled for two years.
“This is the last chance, Mr Stephenson,” Judge Gaynor said.
“That was extremely serious offending and … we are running out of steam with you.”
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