Harley Joshua Fitzgerald admits dangerous driving, public nuisance after highway brawl

Longstanding tensions between two South Burnett men bubbled over into a dangerous fight on the side of the D’Aguilar Highway, and left one woman injured after her car was rammed amid the heated altercation. Full details here:

A longstanding feud spilt onto the D’Aguilar Highway when a man chased down a rival and his girlfriend before ramming into the woman’s car and brawling with the other man on the side of the road.

Harley Joshua Fitzgerald was standing next to his mother’s car when he spotted his brother’s ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend leaving a Blackbutt pub in June last year.

Police prosecutor Lisa Manns told the Kingaroy Magistrates Court the other man stuck up his middle finger up at the 26-year-old before driving off toward Yarraman.

An angered Fitzgerald got in his car and chased after them, travelling at 80km/h in a 50 zone, and cutting off a witness who was forced to slam on her brakes.

“The victim has observed Fitzgerald speeding toward her vehicle and felt his car collide with the rear of hers, before pulling off to the side of the road,” Sergeant Manns said.

The prosecutor said the Blackbutt man struck the woman’s car a second time, causing her finger to be injured when it got stuck in the steering wheel.

Harley Joshua Fitzgerald leaving Kingaroy Magistrates Court on February 17, 2022. Photo/Holly Cormack

The court heard the victim’s boyfriend got out of his car and started jumping on Fitzgerald’s bonnet, before the two men got into a physical fight that spilled out onto the D’Aguilar Highway.

Fitzgerald later told officers he’d been driving in a normal manner, which Sergeant Manns said doesn’t reflect CCTV footage.

Lawyer Mark Werner said his client claimed the woman was “mouthing off” at him and made derogatory comments about his mother when leaving the pub, but insists he followed them to talk because he was tired of the feud.

“The victim’s partner has jumped on his mother’s car and kicked in the window. (Fitzgerald) simply tried to stop him and punched him in the leg to get him off the car,” Mr Werner said.

“People have come in to separate them and he’s walked away.”

Fitzgerald pleaded guilty to the dangerous operation of a vehicle and public nuisance.

He was placed on probation for 12 months and ordered to pay $2299.43 in compensation for damage to the car.

He was also disqualified from driving for six months.

Originally published as Harley Joshua Fitzgerald admits dangerous driving, public nuisance after highway brawl