Mark Andrew Taylor, 59, pleads guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while armed

A man told police he ‘thought he was going to die’ after being assaulted by his tenant when a feud over sausages turned violent. Here’s how he was snagged.

Mark Andrew Taylor outside Warwick Magistrates Court, October 14, 2024 (Photo: NRM)

A Southern Downs man snagged for a baseball bat bust-up that started over a beef with sausages has avoided jail.

Mark Andrew Taylor, 59, faced Warwick Magistrates Court on Monday after a housemate feud turning violent in May.

Both men resided at the same property and on the morning of May 5, Taylor and his landlord brief dispute over money, Senior Constable Sarah Bartholomew said.

Mark Andrew Taylor, 59, outside Warwick Magistrates Court. October 14, 2024. (Photo: NRM)

After being asked to leave multiple times Taylor escalated the blue by grabbing a baseball bat.

“He has then struck the victim two or three times, the victim was able to disarm him and again asked him to leave,” the prosecutor said.

As he was leaving, Taylor turned around and begun swinging an object at the man, and during him backing up, the man fell to the ground.

“The victim sustained cuts and grazes to his arm,” Senior Constable Bartholomew said.

“The man told police in his statement he thought he was going to die.”

The prosecutor noted the man had six pages of criminal history.

Defence lawyer Sarah Campbell said the offending had not occurred in isolation and was “somewhat protracted”.

Ms Campbell said Taylor had been assaulted earlier in the day, receiving an injury to his lower leg requiring sutures.

Mark Andrew Taylor (Photo: NRM)

“He had been living with this gentleman for six months, and oddly enough it was it initiated the day before when they had a dispute over who was cooking some sausages, and the stove caught fire,” Ms Campbell said.

“The other party asked my client to leave and as he was packing up his gear and the argument escalated from there.

“It is accepted there was a point he could have walked away and he did not.”

Taylor plead guilty on October 14, 2024 to one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed.

He was previously charged with one count of making threats, however this was dropped due to no evidence.

Magistrate Janice Crawford summarised the case of the victim who was “effectively his landlord” having an argument with Taylor which started the day before and continued.

“The victim said he thought he was going to die but whether or not that was a realistic thing to say with the circumstances it might have been in the heat of the moment,” the magistrate said.

Taylor was sentenced to a four month imprisonment term, with an immediate parole release.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Mark Andrew Taylor, 59, pleads guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while armed