Central Qld’s Jaydan Joseph Rankin jailed for hockey stick DV assault

After a man broke his ex-lover’s arm in a violent rage and accused her of sleeping with other men, he proclaimed his love to her.

Jaydan Joseph Rankin jailed for hockey stick DV assault on former partner at her Allenstown unit on December 18, 2022.

A jealous Central Queensland man attacked his ex-lover with a hockey stick and smashed it into the back of her head before breaking the stick when he slammed it against her arm as she tried to defend herself.

Jaydan Joseph Rankin, 31, entered his former partner of 10 year’s Allenstown unit sometime during the night on December 18, 2022, without invitation, the Rockhampton District Court heard.

Crown prosecutor Ken Spinaze said at about 5.30am, Rankin accused her of having sex with other men, despite the couple having broken up days earlier, and struck her three times with a hockey stick.

Mr Spinaze said she “nearly fell unconscious” from the first strike, which was to the back of her head.

As she tried to get away from Rankin, he struck her again with the stick and it connected with her raised arm.

“As a result of him striking her twice in the arm with the hockey stick with so much force... it broke the stick,” Mr Spinaze said.

The victim fell to the ground, yelling in pain that he had broken her arm.

Rankin then kicked her while she was on the ground.

When he stopped, he told her he loved her and fled the unit.

The victim required surgery to fix her broken arm as it also had a torn tendon.

Rankin was not arrested until March 2023.

Mr Spinaze said Rankin’s violence towards the victim was escalating.

The court heard that Rankin was convicted for punching her in the face after accusing her of infidelity in 2012, and in December 2021 he smashed a window in her unit and her car and threatened to bash her after again accusing her of cheating when their relationship had ended three weeks beforehand.

Defence barrister Maree Willey said Rankin, who had five siblings and grew up in Woorabinda, had no employment history as he had been in and out of prison for years.

She said he had been exposed to alcohol abuse, drugs and violence in his life.

Ms Willey said he socialised with youths who were drinking alcohol and chroming from a young age and progressed to methamphetamines, which he was on at the time of the 2022 assault.

She said he desired to go through drug rehabilitation and had an interest in art which he wants to pursue when released from prison.

Judge Clarke said a report stated Rankin “completely disregarded” parole conditions.

Rankin pleaded guilty on February 21 to one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and common assault along with two counts of breaching a domestic violence order.

He was subject to a suspended sentence handed down in the magistrates court at the time of the 2022 assault.

Judge Clarke sentenced Rankin to a head sentence of four years for the 2022 assault to commence after the magistrates court sentence was fully served, declared 80 days presentence custody as time already served and set parole eligibility for June 2, 2025.

Originally published as Central Qld’s Jaydan Joseph Rankin jailed for hockey stick DV assault