Troy Desmond Wells sentenced for threatening to kill an ex-partner and assaulting a stranger

A man in his 60s was walking back from a day out when he was viciously attacked by a stranger on the street, a court has been told.

Exterior of Toowoomba Courthouse, Toowoomba court generic, Monday, June 17, 2024. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A Toowoomba man with a 23-page criminal history has been imprisoned for assaulting a stranger on the street and threatening to kill an ex-partner in the same night.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told Troy Desmond Wells, 45, threatened to bash and kill an ex-partner, with several people witnessing the heated attack on March 22, 2025.

The court was told that about 7pm an argument between Wells and his ex-partner broke out where she made derogatory comments about Wells.

From there the argument escalated, with the court told Wells chased his ex-partner around the car park of the motel before she “fled in fear” into an unknown person’s motel room.

Wells continued to threaten his ex-partner saying he would kick the door in and kill her.

Wells and his ex-partner were both part of a program that supports people experiencing homelessness, and the pair were mistakenly placed in the same complex for emergency housing.

The court was told the service had planned to move Wells to a different location after the weekend was over.

Following this attack Wells left the motel and shortly after attacked a stranger on the street.

The victim, a man aged in his 60s, said Wells started yelling at him unprovoked and appeared to be under the influence.

The man told Wells to calm down to which Wells said “don’t think I won’t stab you” before reaching towards his belt as if to grab a weapon.

The victim put his arm out to stop his attacker, before Wells punched him in the face.

The man punched Wells back in an attempt to get away from him.

Wells spat at the man and continued to follow him and yell profanities as he ran away, the court was told.

Wells, who had consumed four bottles of vanilla essence prior to these incidents, was significantly intoxicated and claimed the man had looked at him in a “menacing manner”.

Magistrate Mark Howden said the victim was simply walking back to his hotel.

“It is probably what can be described as gratuitous violence in a public space,” he said.

The victim to this attack had to undergo disease testing after some spit landed in his eye.

On another occasion on January 26, Wells got into a physical altercation at Tony’s Community Kitchen, where he spat in someone’s face after they tried to escort him out of the premises for causing a disturbance.

Wells pleaded guilty to one count of public nuisance, common assault, obstructing a police officer, contravening a DVO, serious assault of a person over 60, and two counts of threatening violence.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with a parole release day of July 22, 2025.

The court was told Wells had been in custody since March 22, 2025 and 52 days of custody were declared as time served towards his sentence. He first entered the prison system at about 18 or 19 and suffered a significant assault while in custody. He spent subsequent time in protection units in custody.

Wells has experienced ongoing issues with homelessness and uses alcohol as a coping mechanism, the court heard.