Joel Luke Watego pleads guilty to bar assault

A father will have to pay $3000 to the workmate he assaulted after the victim claimed ‘I’m going to f--k your mum’ when the pair clashed at a popular bar.

A father will have to pay $3000 to the workmate he assaulted after the victim claimed “I’m going to f--k your mum” when the pair clashed at a popular Mackay bar.

Mackay District Court heard the victim and his attacker had disagreed at work earlier that Friday and the tension had carried over when a group – that included the two – went for knock-off drinks at Harrup Park Country Club on March 12, 2021.

Crown prosecutor Siobhan Harrison said the victim had about 10 drinks over the afternoon and became aggressive at the bar and Joel Luke Watego tried to calm him down and told him to “pull his head in”.

Ms Harrison said the victim told Watego he would “sleep with his mum”, to which he replied “shut up”.

Joel Luke Watego pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm against a workmate at Harrup Park Country Club.

The court heard the victim said “what are you going to do about it?”.

Ms Harrison said while the victim took a sip of his drink, Watego punched him in the side of his head.

She said Watego’s punch knocked the victim off the stool before striking him twice more, knocking him out.

Watego, a supervisor at the mines, was pulled off him in an attack captured on CCTV.

The 38 year old pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said Watego had simply asked the victim to pull his head in and the response was “I’m going to f--k your mum”.

“My client found that extremely provocative and warned the (victim) to shut his mouth and his response was ‘what are you going to do about it?,” Mr McLennan said.

The 38 year old must pay $3000 compensation to his victim over the attack. Picture: iStock

“The assault was clearly excessive.”

Mr McLennan said Watego had immediately apologised and the victim had gone to his house that night, but made a police complaint after watching the CCTV footage.

The court heard Watego had offered to pay for the victim’s medical bills which included some work on his teeth and $3000 compensation.

“There was provocation but obviously you went way over the top,” Judge Deborah Richards said.

“I accept that you apologised immediately.”

The Crown pushed for imprisonment with actual time behind bars but Judge Richards found there would be no benefit to society to send Watego to jail for a short time.

He was jailed for 12 months, wholly suspended for 12 months. A conviction was recorded and he must pay $3000 compensation.

Originally published as Joel Luke Watego pleads guilty to bar assault