Man wields sledgehammer and knife in ice-fuelled fight

TRIPLE-0 operator comforts 8-year-old during horrifying fight between parents.

Triple-0 operater comforts 8-year-old as parents engage in horrifying fight. File Photo

A BEENLEIGH man faced Nanango Magistrates Court on Monday after reports of a horrifying fight, which took place in front of his young children.

According to police prosecutor sergeant Pepe Gangemi, on Saturday January 12, 2019, a number of triple-0 calls were made to police. After the aggrieved, who cannot be named for legal reasons, returned home at 10pm that night, a verbal argument commenced, quickly escalating into a terrifying physical altercation over the next 15 minutes.

"During those calls, between bouts of crying and pleading for police to attend, the phone was passed to a young person, who appears to be eight years of age," Sergeant Gangemi said.

"The triple-0 operator could hear parties yelling and screaming profanities at each other in the background."

"The 8-year-old said at one point, the aggrieved smashed glass in the house after throwing an object, followed by the defendant brandishing a sledgehammer and a knife while the pair fought each other."

Sergeant Gangemi said the young child and his siblings were trying to stop the fight, which had begun over car keys.

When officers arrived to break up the argument, both parties told police they'd taken methylamphetamine.

While this was the first domestic violence breach committed by the defendant, Sergeant Gangemi said 'it's probably toward the more serious end, considering the effect on the children'.

One of the conditions of the order was not to expose the children to domestic violence. A plea of guilty was entered to the charge.

Defence lawyer Thomas Carr noted the incident occurred more than one and a half years ago, however no charges had been laid until April this year.

For this reason, Magistrate Andrew Sinclair struck out the charge.

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