Dean John White in court for assault, speeding

A 33-year-old stonemason has been jailed for his brutal attack on a man during a brawl in the main street of Bundaberg.

The relaxed atmosphere of the popular CBD was disrupted by the street brawl.

A Bundaberg man has been jailed after his participation in a street brawl sent his victim to the hospital with cartilage damage to the nose and swelling to the head.

Dean John White, 33, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrate Court to assault causing bodily harm, and a dozen driving offences, including driving without a licence, speeding and driving under the influence.

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The court heard the assault occurred outside Chippindall’s newsagency in Bourbong Street, Bundaberg on June 23, 2023.

White’s victim was standing outside the business when he noticed a familiar vehicle pull into the parking lot in front of the shop, it heard.

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The victim, assuming it was his girlfriend’s car, looked into the car and was confronted by one of its occupants who asked “why are you looking at my missus?”

The court was told the victim tried to settle the situation down but it quickly escalated, with the occupants of the car asking him “do you want to go?”

Two people in the car, including White, got out and approached the victim before White punched him in the head.

A brawl ensued, with the victim trying to escape by going into the newsagency and getting punched in the back of the head by White, the court heard.

During the fight White and his co-accused yelled at their victim calling him a “dog” and saying words to the effect of “I’ll break your f---ing nose.”

The court heard White eventually came to his senses, ended the fight and left the scene.

The victim and a witness went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with soft cartilage damage to the nose and swelling around his head.

CCTV footage from the newsagency directed police in their investigation which led to White’s arrest.

The court heard White also had a pattern of driving offences beginning from September, 2022 where he was pulled over for a random breath test and police discovered his NSW licence had been suspended.

White told the police he was unaware his licence had been suspended.

The court heard of four separate occasions during which the 33-year-old would tell police over a five month period that he “wasn’t aware” his licence had been revoked or suspended.

White had an “overwhelming criminal history” spanning three states with “significant entries including violence,” it heard.

White’s co-accused in the street brawl received minor sentences for their part in the fight, however the court heard they had the “benefit” of youth and little to no criminal history.

White’s legal representative Matt Messenger asked magistrate John McInnes to consider the good employment history White had as a stonemason and the fact he had broken up the fight.

White appeared in the Bundaberg Magistrates Court at the Bundaberg Court House.

Mr McInnes accepted Mr Messenger’s submission but said White was an “enthusiastic participant” in the brawl.

The court also heard White had committed all the driving offences while on bail from the assault and had endangered fellow road users as a result of his speeding and drink driving.

“You must have been made aware several times by police (that the licence was revoked), but you kept driving and kept getting caught,” Mr McInnes said.

In his sentencing Mr McInnes labelled the assault the head sentence, and White was handed six month’s jail.

He was given another six months and 21 days jail for the driving offences, to be served concurrently.

White’s licence was suspended for 12 years and he was convicted and not further punished on the remaining charges.

White will be released on parole June 17, 2023 after serving a third of his sentence.

Originally published as Dean John White in court for assault, speeding