Garry Goodwill sentenced for assaulting family member at Christmas gathering

A man, filthy because he thought his brother-in-law had called him a “dole bludger” at a family gathering, reacted with a “full force” punch that knocked him out for 90 minutes.

Garry Ross Goodwill was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court on April 3.

A man who assaulted his brother-in-law at a family Christmas gathering so violently that the victim required surgery, has been sentenced.

Garry Ross Goodwill, 39, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on April 3 to assault occasioning bodily harm and failing to appear.

The court heard the assault happened at a family gathering on Christmas Eve 2019, at a Millmerran residence in Mary Street, and Goodwill had escaped being dealt with in court since then.

About 10.15pm, Goodwill’s brother-in-law was sitting on a chair under a gazebo, talking to his wife and another family member.

“(Goodwill) came outside and accused (his brother-in-law) of calling him a dole bludger,” police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said.

Goodwill then went back inside the house.

Ms Leach said an argument “erupted” inside the house between Goodwill and other family members about what was said.

The prosecutor said Goodwill then walked outside, “marched up” to his brother-in-law and “delivered a full force punch” to his face which fractured his left eye socket and broke his nose.

Ms Leach said Goodwill “marched straight back inside” the house and told those there that he had punched his brother-in-law.

The brother-in-law stood up and walked over a low fence before passing out in the next-door neighbour’s yard for 90 minutes.

Garry Ross Goodwill.

Ms Leach said family looked for him but could not find him, and they only saw him again after he regained consciousness and returned to a chair in the backyard.

“During that 90 minutes, police and family were looking for the victim,” Ms Leach said.

The prosecutor said the brother-in-law, who denied calling Goodwill a dole bludger, went to hospital that night and was released the next morning.

Scans confirmed a fractured eye socket, and a broken nose which required surgery, Ms Leach said.

Goodwill was charged and bailed to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court on January 9, 2020.

In the same court on November 20, 2020, Goodwill’s bail was enlarged.

But then when he was required to appear in court on January 15, 2021, Goodwill didn’t show and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

It wasn’t until December last year that police caught up with Goodwill at Calliope in the Gladstone region.

Solicitor Stephen White said Goodwill was a father of one who had previously worked as a scaffolder.

Mr White said Goodwill had, in the past, had a problem with drugs but he “cleaned himself up” after the death of his de-facto spouse so that he could take on sole parenting duties.

In relation to the assault, Mr White said Goodwill realised he was “a big guy” and the consequences could have been “far more severe than what they were.”

Prior to sentencing, Magistrate Mary Buchanan said this was “significant violence” and a “fairly unprovoked attack.”

She added that it was “frightening” that the victim had passed out for 90 minutes and no-one could find him.

Ms Buchanan sentenced Goodwill to nine months’ jail, wholly suspended for 12 months, and ordered he pay $750 compensation to the victim.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Garry Goodwill sentenced for assaulting family member at Christmas gathering