Matthew Ronald Alan Prebble in court for Midge Point Tavern car park assault

A Whitsunday man working at an abandoned resort has explained why he grabbed another man by the throat and punched him multiple times outside a local tavern.

Alleged vandalism at an abandoned Whitsunday resort has been identified as the cause of a seemingly random attack on a father of two buying cigarettes at a local tavern on a Saturday morning.

Matthew Ronald Alan Prebble, 31, struck Nebo mine operator Lee John Hudson in the throat and face as he exited Midge Point Tavern about 11.45am on May 1 in an altercation that ended in a “panicked” Hudson running Prebble down with his car.

Proserpine Magistrates Court heard Prebble grabbed Hudson by the throat with one hand and the back of his head with another until a bystander separated the two men.

Hudson later went to Proserpine Hospital via ambulance with bruising to his throat and ribs, “significant” pain and difficulty swallowing.

Prebble pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and allowed his lawyer Elizabeth Smith to provide context around the confrontation, which had started with Prebble asking Hudson: “Did you have fun down at the marina?”.

“He’s currently employed at Laguna Quays [and] part of the role is that he lives on site,” Ms Smith said.

“Because he’s always there at Laguna Quays, he is privy to some of the things that go on there and it’s not uncommon for people to trespass onto the property and commit vandalism or just hoon around the place.

“The victim in this incident he suspected had been at an incident a couple of weeks prior involving some vandalism of the site.

“My client had observed him doing some burnouts on a quad bike and things like that so that gives rise to the circumstances as to why he spoke to him to begin with.”

Matthew Ronald Alan Prebble pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm. Picture: Facebook

Ms Smith said Hudson’s injuries were relatively minor whereas Prebble was “effectively run over” in the altercation and had to go to hospital a number of times for injuries to his leg and go on medication for anxiety.

She also said her client had completed a 52-lesson anger management course since the offending.

Acting Magistrate Ron Muirhead accepted there was a “background” to the incident but added that did not justify Prebble’s behaviour.

“It should have been handled better, that’s the bottom line,” Mr Muirhead said.

He fined Prebble $750 with no conviction recorded.

Hudson’s had been previously sentenced in October for dangerous driving was a $650 fine and six-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.

Originally published as Matthew Ronald Alan Prebble in court for Midge Point Tavern car park assault