Danny Joe Dullaway pleaded guilty to causing serious harm with intent after hammer attack

A shearer has confessed to hitting a man with his car and bashing his face in with a hammer after he rocked up to his house in bizarre circumstances.

A shearer has come clean on a brutal attack after he hit a man with his car and viciously bashed him with a hammer.

Danny Joe Dullaway, 34, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday to causing serious harm with intent and committing an act to cause serious harm.

As a result of the guilty pleas, the remaining charges, including attempted murder, were withdrawn by prosecution.

During Dullaway’s unsuccessful bail application in January, the court heard the victim, who was known to Dullaway, attended at his Hallett home at 10pm on January 15.

“He says that Mr Dullaway produced a samurai sword so he took him to the ground and kicked him once to the ribs,” the prosecutor said.

Danny Dullaway pleaded guilty to causing serious harm with intent. Photo: Facebook

A charge of attempted murder was withdrawn. Photo: Facebook

The court heard the victim walked off and Dullaway got into his car and drove it at him, attempting to hit him.

“On the fourth time he did hit him with the vehicle, knocking him to the ground,” the prosecutor said.

The court heard Dullaway then got out of the car and held the man by the throat – restricting his breathing – before striking him to the face with a hammer four or five times.

Dullaway was then pulled away from the victim by a witness.

The victim was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital after sustaining multiple head wounds, loss of teeth, a broken left thumb requiring surgery and a broken jaw in multiple locations.

The prosecutor said Dullaway was interviewed and told police there was a scuffle, before he grabbed a hammer, got in his car and “floored it”.

“He says he got out of the car and started bashing him in the face with the hammer before his brother turned up,” the prosecutor said.

“He told his brother to take the victim away or he would have seriously hurt him even more.”

Kylie Ann Pligl, for Dullaway, told the court during the bail application the victim, who had previously been threatening her client, turned up at his house and pulled a machete at him – metres from his four children.

“I am instructed that my client was protecting his family,” she said.

Ms Pligl said the victim had been threatening Dullaway as he had sent a text message about him to someone else.

On Tuesday, Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal committed Dullaway to the Port Augusta District Court in September.

Originally published as Danny Joe Dullaway pleaded guilty to causing serious harm with intent after hammer attack