Callum William James in court for bashing Geoffrey Johnson

A drunk Maryborough teen and his friend punched and kicked an innocent man so violently, he was rushed to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, a court has heard.

A violent assault carried out by a young Maryborough man left another man with severe injuries, including bleeding on the brain.

A drunk teenager’s violent attack on a man nearly 50 years his senior left him with a broken nose and a brain bleed, the Maryborough District Court heard.

Callum William James was 19 when he was walking through a Tinana street with two friends in the early hours of October 2, 2023, and one of them knocked over the bins that belonged to Geoffrey Johnson, 66.

Mr Johnson was awoken by his dogs barking at the group, which the court heard led him to confront them out the front of his Maryborough home.

Crown prosecutor Kate Droney told the court said James was backed up by two accomplices, with one of them considered another aggressor in the attack.

Mr Johnson yelled at the three of them from his home, with James yelling in return: “What the f--- are you going to do about it, old man?”

This shouting led James and the alleged co-offender to run back towards the 66-year-old and punch him, the court heard.

During the assault, Mr Johnson also threw punches, while the co-offender allegedly said he would come back to the house with a gun and shoot him.

The female who was with the two men during the assault managed to drag James away from Mr Johnson, though he said he would come back.

James broke away from his female friend and continued to punch Mr Johnson in the head.

He then broke away from his female friend and continued to punch Mr Johnson in the head, the court heard.

Mr Johnson then grabbed James and tried to drag him to the ground.

He got on top of the 19-year-old and told them to go home, before James managed to get a leg free and kick Mr Johnson in the face.

The court was told the co-offender went back into the fray, kicking Mr Johnson in the head, which forced him off James.

The victim had to go to the hospital, where a CT scan revealed he suffered a chipped tooth and a broken nose.

Weeks later, he had issues with his balance, before collapsing while shaving on November 25, 2023.

Another CT scan revealed he had bleeding on his brain, which led emergency services to transfer him to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital for emergency surgery.

James voluntarily handed himself in to the Acacia Ridge Police Station, where he confessed, the court heard.

Defence barrister Ed Whitton said the brain bleed may have been caused by an act committed by the co-offender, rather than James.

Mr Whitton told the court James is now a full-time roofer, and had excellent rapport with his employer to the point where they provided a reference for him.

CT scans revealed bleeding to Geoffrey Johnson’s brain.

James now lived with his grandparents in Brisbane after a brief period of living on the streets in Maryborough, and blamed an alcohol-fueled evening for his aggressive outburst.

Judge Nathan Jarro told James he was “extremely close to serving a component in prison”, before describing the attack as “cowardly behaviour” and “an unnecessary and unprovoked attack”.

James pleaded guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 18 months jail, wholly suspended for two years.

James was also ordered to pay $2000 compensation to Mr Johnson by November 20, 2025.

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Originally published as Callum William James in court for bashing Geoffrey Johnson