Huge update after Gold Coast hospitality mogul hits 12-year-old cyclist

Aussies have erupted after police revealed the punishment for a man caught on camera hitting a boy with his Audi - but cops say there’s another side to the story.

Australians have erupted with fury after a driver who hit a 12-year-old cyclist with his Audi escaped with only a traffic fine.

Gold Coast hospitality mogul Howard Wright lost three demerit points and was slapped with a $645 fine for driving without due care and attention following the crash at Paradise Point on January 6.

Queensland Police have defended the move not to charge the 58-year-old, saying the child involved racially abused the adult by calling him the N-word.

Police also said the adult’s address had been posted online, and he had been the target of threats, which are the basis of a separate ongoing investigation.

But social media has been set alight with a spate of angry reactions to the news, with many arguing the man deserved to face more severe punishment for the incident.

Howard Wright was caught on camera. Picture: Supplied

“God help that man he if hits my kid like that...” one wrote on a clip of the crash, which racked up almost a million views after being shared by a US-run Instagram account.

“That’s bulls***,” another said.

”People saying he had right of way shouldn’t have a licence,” added a third.

Cops defend punishment for Audi driver

Speaking to media on Monday about a host of ongoing cases on the Gold Coast, Acting Superintendent Jason Tuffley said footage first published by the Gold Coast Bulletin did not tell the whole story.

“Police have reviewed the footage from the child, or the boy, in its entirety, and this has corroborated with the adult driver’s version of events that he was racially abused and harassed prior to the collision by the boy and his associates,” he said.

“As a result of this information, and the demeanour of the driver afterwards, the fact that he reported it took place, and police reviewing the matter in its entirety, it was decided that a traffic infringement only will be issued to the driver, of which carries a fine of $640 and three demerit points.”

He knocked a 12-year-old boy off his bike. Picture: Instagram

The boy’s family did not agree with the police not laying charges, but the boy had been warned about his own conduct, Superintendent Tuffley said.

“The child has been warned in relation to posting content online which has led to threats to the driver of the vehicle as well as posting his address.”

Superintendent Tuffley was asked if there were ever circumstances that warranted striking a child with a car.

“In this circumstance, the appropriate course of action has been taken and he has been issued with the traffic infringement notice,” he replied.

“I can’t answer that question of every single circumstance in relation to a vehicle striking a child. Of course, that wouldn’t be an appropriate course of action.”

Superintendent Tuffley said the driver was called the N-word by the boy before the collision happened.

He owns two bars on the Gold Coast. Picture: Pedro Freitas

Police are reportedly investigating ‘threats’. Picture: Instagram

‘I didn’t do nothing’: Footage of collision

In the video, filmed on the boy’s helmet-mounted GoPro and uploaded by him to Instagram, Mr Wright’s Audi can be seen driving toward him.

Moments later, the boy falls from his bike, and while lying on the ground, begins to yell: “I didn’t do nothing. I didn’t do nothing.”

“What the f**k?” the boy continues, as Mr Wright exits his car and approaches him.

“I didn’t do nothing, I didn’t do nothing. I wasn’t even there. Why did you hit me?”

“I know you didn’t do anything,” Mr Wright responds, before telling the boy: “This bike is illegal.”

The boy yelled out that he “didn’t do nothing”. Picture: Instagram

The boy questions why Mr Wright “hit” him, to which he says: “You ran in front of my car. I’m sorry.”

Mr Wright, whose company owns two flashy bars at Paradise Point, then introduces himself, before once again telling the boy: “First of all, understand this bike is completely illegal.”

“Ah sh*t. Can you fix my handle bars? F**king hell that hurt,” the boy says, only for Mr Wright to repeat for a third time that his “bike is completely illegal”.

Several onlookers then approach the scene, with one woman telling Mr Wright the boy is “just a kid”.

“Sorry? I know he is. They are ringing my doorbell every day,” Mr Wright says, to which the boy interjects: “No, I didn’t do it.”

“See the guy over there, with (the) blue hat on – (he) just rang the doorbell. I’m about to go police from the case from yesterday.

“If I were you, buddy, I would vanish off. The police are going to be back here.”

The boy tells Mr Wright he is “a bit confused why you hit (me)”.

“I didn’t do nothing … I saw you zoom up on me, I have it on film,” he adds.

One witness chimes in: “We saw that.”

— With Natalie Brown