Jonathon Adams: Launceston man bashed ex’s new man, court hears

Enraged at bumping into his ex with a new partner at a supermarket, a Tasmanian man slugged him in the face, before a teenage accomplice also rained blows on the hapless victim.

A Tasmanian father flew into a rage upon seeing his ex-partner with two of his children and a new man at a supermarket, punching the boyfriend in the face before a teenage accomplice also rained blows down on him.

Kings Meadows man Jonathon Charles Adams, 41, pleaded guilty in Launceston Supreme Court on Monday to a count of assault.

The offence occurred on August 29 last year outside a Scottsdale supermarket.

Adams and a teenage male were shopping when they bumped into Adams’ ex-partner, who he broke up with in 2020. The pair had a daughter together.

The woman was with Hills’ biological daughter; another daughter of hers, who Adams considered to be his own child; and a new man, who she entered into a relationship with in July 2021.

In the supermarket aisle, Adams grabbed the man by the scruff of his neck and said, “You’re dead,” the court heard.

The pair disengaged and both parties continued their shopping.

However, as the man was loading the groceries into his vehicle in the carpark, Adams approached him again, forced him against a fence and told him, “You’re dead, you’re going to leave her alone. You know she tried to shag me a few weeks ago.”

Adams then struck the man in the face before his teenage accomplice also punched the victim another five or six times while he was on the ground, the court heard.

The Crown initially made moves to hold Adams liable for the assault perpetrated by the younger man, but it was ultimately accepted the teenager acted without the knowledge or blessing of Adams and they were charged on separate indictments.

The younger man was ultimately sentenced in April to 105 hours’ community service with no conviction recorded for his role in the assault.

The victim suffered multiple facial fractures as a result of the assault by Adams and the teenager.

Defence counsel Fran McCracken told the court the assault was out of character for her client, who had a previous assault conviction in 2009 relating to a woman he was previously in a relationship with.

She said Adams lost his cool after seeing his ex-partner’s new boyfriend with the two children, as he had expected to be consulted before his ex introduced new people to the kids.

Ms McCracken conceded it was aggravating that there were two children present when the assault occurred, although it couldn’t be conclusively proven they witnessed the bashing as they were seated in the car when it happened.

Justice Tamara Jago adjourned her decision to Friday.