Homeless Mt Beppo tree lopper Kayde Desmond Gehrke, 19, sentenced after baseball bat attack on good Samaritan

A homeless 19-year-old tree-lopper has been sentenced after a “bizarre’’ violent attack on a good Samaritan who helped him while he was living in a car.

A homeless tree lopper has been sentenced in Ipswich District Court for a bizarre attack.

A young tree lopper’s drug-fuelled attack on a good Samaritan who helped him when he was living in a car has been described as “bizarre’’ by an Ipswich judge.

Kayde Desmond Gehrke, 19, of Mt Beppo, northwest of Brisbane, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court today, September 25, to violently attacking a Laidley woman who had let him and his then girlfriend use her shower and washing facilities while they were homeless.

The incident occurred in June last year, by which time Gehrke had known the victim for a year.

He would visit her home weekly to use the facilities and share a cigarette with the victim and her husband.

The court heard that at the time Gehrke had been homeless and living in his car.

The victim was living with her husband and children, aged 15, 7 and 6, when Gehrke’s then partner turned up to the house.

Judge Benedict Power said Gehrke’s partner had arrived at the home late in the night seeking refuge and was distressed.

An enraged, drug-fuelled Gehrke arrived soon after, screaming and shouting at his partner to come outside.

The court heard he was so angry spit and “foam’’ was coming from his mouth.

Gehrke shouted “get out here or I am going to smash you” despite knowing the children were inside.

Gehrke then shoved the victim with both hands, causing her to fall into a doorframe.

Her husband woke up and tried to placate Gehrke by giving him car keys and a debit card belonging to Gehrke’s girlfriend but he threatened to “cave their heads in”.

When told there were children present Gehrke retrieved a bat from his car and shouted “I don’t give a f*** about your kids, I’ll stab your kids”.

He hit the victim on the arm with the bat, causing significant swelling.

Judge Power said he believed Gehrke might not have said and done the things he did had he been sober.

But he said Gehrke needed to accept he behaved violently when on drugs or drunk.

“It’s important you don’t dismiss this as just drugs,” he said. “This is you on drugs.”

“This again shows the bizarre state of mind you were in.

“You began following her (the victim) and said ‘hey, if there was any damage inside, let me know and I’ll fix it for you’.”

The court heard Gehrke admitted assaulting the victim with the bat but denied entering the house or fighting with his then partner.

However, he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and burglary.

Judge Power sentenced him to two years’ jail with immediate parole release.

He declared 78 days of pre-sentence custody as time served.

A conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Homeless Mt Beppo tree lopper Kayde Desmond Gehrke, 19, sentenced after baseball bat attack on good Samaritan