John David Hansen sentenced in Townsville Magistrates Court for assaulting Australia Post delivery driver
A postie was out delivering packages when a former ADF member launched an unprovoked attack on him and punched him in the face. Read what was said in court.
Townsville
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A postie was delivering packages when a former Australian soldier launched an unprovoked violent attack on him shouting to “get off the grass”, a court has heard.
John David Hansen was sentenced in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday after he was found guilty of assaulting an Australia Post driver and unlawfully entering the delivery van in a prior hearing.
Magistrate Susan Warrington said in April of last year Gibson Billy stopped at an apartment complex at Belgian Gardens to deliver a package where Hansen was working.
The court heard that while Mr Billy drove to the carparking bays he turned the vehicle around.
“While turning the vehicle, he went out onto a small area of grass, swung around and came back to the driveway,” Ms Warrington said.
The magistrate said as Mr Billy drove back to the driveway Hansen was standing there blocking his way out and yelling “get off the grass” and “get off this property”.
“Hansen then walks to the side of the vehicle and started punching him through the window,” Ms Warrington said.
She said the 44-year-old then reached into the car and ripped the keys out of the ignition and threw them onto the driveway and leaned on Mr Billy’s door.
The interaction was caught on video by a witness, the court heard.
“Billy proceeds to walk towards Hansen and says, ‘what’s wrong with you mate? What’s your problem? I’m delivering mail’.”
The court heard in the video Mr Billy’s face had white substance on it where he had been hit by Hansen whose arm had been covered in mastic, a white substance which he had been mixing during work.
Magistrate Warrington said Hansen was an unreliable witness because the evidence he gave to police officers after the incident and the court was “implausible” and “inconsistent”.
She said during his oral testimony Hansen denied punching Mr Billy in the face but under cross examination he agreed he had struck him.
The court heard in Hansen’s evidence he said he was hit in the face by Mr Billy but he wasn’t sure that had occurred because he was wearing glasses with poor visibility.
Hansen, who appeared in court by telephone and represented himself, said he was a soldier in the “Australian Regular Army”.
“As a trained person, certainly in a military aspect, I do have some significant mental history, PTSD, major depressive disorder, anxiety, physical disorders as well but those aside, you are trained from the get go to de-escalate and looking back over this footage … I am too dismayed with my behaviour in several areas,” Hansen said.
“Especially knowing that I’m a person who is trained in these high-tempo sort of situations … I could have handled that in a much better capacity.”
Magistrate Warrington said damaged grass was not a good enough reason to assault another person but would take into the account Hansen had never been charged with a violent offence before.
He was found guilty of common assault and the unlawful entry of a vehicle and was sentenced to a nine month probation order.
More Coverage
Originally published as John David Hansen sentenced in Townsville Magistrates Court for assaulting Australia Post delivery driver
VOTE NOW: Townsville’s cutest toddler of 2025
More than 300 toddlers have been nominated, but who will take home the title of Townsville’s cutest toddler of 2025?
Alleged DV offender accused of tattooing woman
A man who spent nine years in jail and is alleged to have forcefully tattooed his name on a woman shortly after being released has applied for bail in Townsville court.