Lachlan Jason Selwood-Debelak slammed by magistrate for pulling knife in fight
A magistrate has launched an extraordinary ten-minute spray against a former TSS student for pulling a knife during an early-morning fight on the Gold Coast. READ WHAT SHE SAID
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A FORMER private school student who pulled a knife during an early morning fight near The Star in Broadbeach has been told his actions were “insanity and foolishness”.
Lachlan Jason Selwood-Debelak was told by a magistrate he was lucky the incident did not result in a murder.
The former The Southport School student pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday to assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed and in company.
“I mean, why is he carrying a knife at two o’clock in the morning, a 19-year-old on the Gold Coast,” Magistrate Kathleen Payne said.
“That is the concern the community has with people carrying knives who come before the courts to be sentenced.
“You are very lucky you are not charged with murder because there are a lot of young men 19 years old in jail waiting for a murder trial because of exactly the same circumstance that you found yourself in.”
Her comments come after four people on the Gold Coast were killed in stabbing incidents in the past 18 months including 18-year-old Jack Beasley and 17-year-old Harrison Geppert.
“You don’t take a knife in public,” Magistrate Payne said.
“It’s like you don’t drink and drive. It’s so easy.”
The court was told Selwood-Debelak was on the gaming floor of the Star Casino, Broadbeach about 2.30am on August 23 when he and a friend got into a fight with another person.
Security broke up the fight and the three were kicked out.
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About half an hour later Selwood-Debelak and his mate came across the other man involved in the fight on the side of a road in Broadbeach.
The pair began punching the man against a fence until Selwood-Debelak produced a knife from his pocket.
Police arrived and found a flick knife in Selwood-Debelak’s pocket.
The victim was left with a broken nose.
Magistrate Payne sentenced Selwood-Debelak to 18 months’ probation and ordered he complete 40 hours of community service. He must also pay the victim $2000 in compensation. No conviction was recorded.
Selwood-Debelak was also given a 10-minute lecture by Magistrate Payne.
“Young people carrying knives at night is an increasing problem for this community,” she said.
“Not only because it creates risk, but it is creating death.
“Young people like yourself are dying as a consequence of actions of young people carrying knives and having fake bravado in the street.
“It can very easily turn what you might think is a nothing incident into a murder charge.
“Young people in your situation are putting their families and their communities through such agony as a consequence of carrying a knife in public.”
Magistrate Payne told Selwood-Debelak that every time he stepped out of his house with a knife he took the “risk that someone gets killed because of your actions”.
“Thank God no one was injured with the knife,” she said.
“The knife appears to have been produced in order to show some bravado in a moment of insanity and foolishness.”
Magistrate Payne said Selwood-Debelak “ought to be embarrassed and ashamed”.
Defence lawyer Ashkan Tai, of Ashkan Tai Lawyers, said Selwood-Debelak was remorseful and was “scared” about what was going to happen at court.
He said Selwood-Debelak had been working with his father since graduating TSS and was currently looking for an apprenticeship.
Mr Tai said Selwood-Debelak had been diagnosed with depression and ADHD.
Originally published as Lachlan Jason Selwood-Debelak slammed by magistrate for pulling knife in fight
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