Beau Hills: Mayfield man fractured person’s skull at Launceston

A Tasmanian man drank 10 to 15 pints before punching a cricket opponent in the face, then striking another person so hard he was rushed to ED suffering a bleed on the brain.

A Tasmanian man consumed 10 to 15 pints of full-strength beer before punching a cricket opponent in the face in a takeaway carpark, then slugging another person not known to him so hard he fractured his skull and caused a bleed to the brain.

Mayfield man Beau John Hills, 28, pleaded guilty in Launceston Supreme Court on Monday to two counts of assault.

Both offences were committed about 12am on December 23, 2020, in the carpark of Charcoal Chicken in Launceston’s CBD.

The first victim, aged 29 at the time, was known to Hills as they played cricket against each other. The second victim, then aged 55, was not known to Hills.

The court heard Hills had been out for work Christmas drinks, starting his night at the Plough Inn about 6pm before relocating to the Irish later on.

By the time of the two assaults, Hills had consumed 10 to 15 pints of full-strength beer, the court was told.

Several groups of men, including Hills’, had spilt out from the Irish into the Charcoal Chicken carpark when the 29-year-old and Hills entered into an argument, with the former calling the defendant a “spastic”.

Hills responded by punching the man in the face, causing him to fall backwards into a garden bed and sustain a split lip.

The 55-year-old man then attempted to shepherd Hills, who was acting “aggressively”, away from the prostrate first victim.

Hills then attempted to engage a third man, asking him, “Do you want one too?”, to which the man responded, “Piss off, we’re not here to fight.”

The 55-year-old victim then intervened in an attempt to calm Hills down, approaching him with “hands outstretched”, at which the defendant punched him in the face too.

The second victim fell backwards, striking his head on the pavement.

He was rushed to the Launceston General Hospital emergency department with a fractured skull and multiple bleeds on the brain, subsequently requiring transfer to the Royal Hobart Hospital for surgery.

His harrowing victim impact statement was read to the court, detailing how the man, who owned his own building company, was pushed to the financial wall due to the ongoing effects of the assault.

His business “crumbled” and he is still unable to work in the same capacity as previously, while his wife and children have had to grapple with their changed father and husband.

“My wife has a different husband, my children have a different father. I am different,” he said.

The court heard Hills had a previous conviction for serious assault, which was committed in October 2015 and resulted in the imposition of a suspended sentence.

Justice Tamara Jago described the previous offence as being of a “marked similarity” to the current matters, involving a “grossly inappropriate” reaction to mildly provocative words being directed at him.

Defence counsel Fran McCracken told the court her client, a butcher, was acting in self-defence in an erroneous belief both his victim were about to set upon him first.

She noted that Hills was the sole breadwinner for his household and had two young children with his wife, meaning a custodial sentence would have dire effects on the family.

She said Hills had been self-medicating with alcohol, cannabis and amphetamines since the offending, and had spent time banished from his family household.

She submitted the offences could be dealt with by way of suspended sentence, combined with community service or a home detention order.

Justice Jago adjourned her decision for six weeks, to enable the Crown and defence to make further submissions on the severity of the 55-year-old’s injuries and whether they are permanent.

She will hear those submissions on October 24.