Teen who glassed another man in a Palm Beach park released on parole
A TEENAGER who stabbed another man in the neck three times has avoided prison time after his defence barrister argued he would be “targeted” in jail.
A TEENAGER who glassed another man in the neck at a popular southern Gold Coast park has avoided jail time after his defence barrister argued he would be “targeted” in jail.
Iggy Adin Fletcher, 19, pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court to unlawful wounding of another man about 9pm on November 12 last year.
The court heard Fletcher threw a bottle near the victim, Dylan Lyon, who was walking home from work past the Pirate Park at Palm Beach.
When Lyon asked Fletcher to stop smashing the glass on the ground, the 19-year-old left the group he was with and asked Lyon “do you want to have a go?” before smashing the end of a bottle and stabbing him in the throat three times.
Lyon, 19, who immediately began bleeding from the neck, was taken to hospital and required 14 stitches, the court heard.
Crown prosecutor Denise Darwen said people were entitled to walk around at night without fear of being attacked.
Defence barrister Jason Buckland said Fletcher was intoxicated on the evening he committed the offence and no longer drinks alcohol.
He said Fletcher had experienced several “challenges” in his life including suffering from Asperger Syndrome, ADHD, depression and anxiety and had been medicated most of his life.
However, Judge Catherine Muir said that was no excuse for his behaviour.
“A lot of ... people have these conditions but they don’t break off a bottle and inflict wounding on people walking home at night,” she said.
Mr Buckland told the court Fletcher would be a “target” to other inmates in jail and “there was a risk he would not serve prison well”.
Judge Muir sentenced him to 18 months jail but released him on parole immediately.
Originally published as Teen who glassed another man in a Palm Beach park released on parole