Roma sawmill worker David Henderson fronts Toowoomba District Court for second workplace fight

A Roma father with a ‘concerning and violent’ criminal history was brought before court after he came to blows with a workmate while drinking at a remote worksite in west Queensland.

Roma man David Graham Henderson leaving the Toowoomba Courthouse after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a workmate while on the job at a west Queensland sawmill.

A western Queensland sawmill worker with a violent criminal history fronted court after he came to blows with a workmate while on the job.

At Toowoomba District Court in April, the Roma father, David Graham Henderson, pleaded guilty to threatening to kill a colleague during the physical and verbal altercation.

Before the sentence proceeded, the Crown dropped a more serious charge, which was not read in the public record.

The blow-up occurred at the Mungallala sawmill on April 5, 2023, which is located between Charleville and Roma in outback Queensland.

Henderson was staying at accommodation at the worksite.

It was the second time that the 32-year-old was involved in a physical altercation at the workplace, and on the recent occasion, he had been drinking beers after clocking off for the day.
The court was told the prior workplace physical altercation had involved his boss.

Roma man David Graham Henderson leaving the Toowoomba Courthouse after pleading guilty to threatening to kill a workmate while on the job at a west Queensland sawmill.

Crown prosecutor Tazwar Khan said that during the altercation, when the victim was on the ground, Henderson stood over him and threatened to “f--king kill him” if he did not leave.

The victim left the building and called the police, however Mr Khan said Henderson continued to threaten the man’s life, which continued when officers arrived on the scene.

The complainant told Henderson to look at the damage he’d already caused.

A drunk Henderson was arrested two days later and released from custody in January 2024, about eight months later.

Mr Khan said Henderson had a concerning violent criminal history, which included assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, common assaults, and a number of domestic violence offences.

He said his violent offending was sporadic, fuelled by alcohol, and often directed at police, acquaintances, or intimate partners, where the victims had been either stuck or stabbed.

On one occasion threw a meat and cotton grinder at a girlfriend.

Barrister Nathan Edridge said Henderson was well and truly on his way to rehabilitation and he planned on sticking to a promise he made to his children that he would never leave them again after missing Christmas in 2023.

“There has been an enormous change in Mr Henderson’s life,” he said.

“That was a line in the sand for Mr Henderson. He greatly struggled being away (and) he financially supports the family in both Roma and Mitchell.

“He felt that he really let his children down in particular.”

Mr Edridge said Henderson was addressing his drinking issue, and tabled character reference to the court from other sawmill employees.

“He was really trying… but there was a slip-up up it seems,” he said.

He said Henderson’s upbringing may have contributed to his substance abuse issues.

“What he is to be punished for in my respectful submission was his inability to calm down after the physical altercation,” he said.

“They really were empty threats (he made).

“There might have been something said by the complainant about the children which led my client to temper and maybe some over-protection.

“My client really did seem to be terrified by the prospect of being convicted of count one (which was dropped).

“For a long time, that was hanging over his head.”

Judge Suzanne Sheridan told Henderson the serious offence would have been a terrifying experience.

She told Henderson his work references from the sawmill spoke highly of him as a valued employee and commended his “wonderful” rehabilitation efforts, noting he had not committed a crime since being released on bail.

She said the time he spent in custody was served as part of a suspended jail term that Henderson was on for an unrelated crime.

Henderson was sentenced to a three-month jail term, suspended for six months.

Originally published as Roma sawmill worker David Henderson fronts Toowoomba District Court for second workplace fight