Hobart jury discharged after man accused of headbutting changes his plea at the eleventh hour

A man about to stand trial has changed his plea at the eleventh hour – confessing to the headbutting assault of a woman in the Derwent Valley. IN COURT >>

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A HOBART trial has wrapped up before it even properly began, with a man accused of headbutting a woman changing his mind at the eleventh hour and pleading guilty.

Kye Douglas Glenn Palmer, 32, appeared before a Supreme Court of Tasmania on Wednesday after pleading not guilty to two counts of assault dating back to February 24, 2020.

But the Dromedary man changed his position before the Crown delivered its opening address to the jury.

He pleaded guilty to both charges, in that he assaulted a woman by headbutting her twice and wrapping a dressing gown cord around her neck, pulling it tightly.

Justice Helen Wood explained to the jury that “the accused is still in your hands” because empanelment had already taken place.

Kye Douglas Glenn Palmer leaves the Supreme Court in Hobart on Wednesday.

She directed them to return a verdict of guilty given his change of plea constituted “a formal admission of guilt before the court”.

“This is somewhat an unusual development,” she said.

Justice Wood said that when a trial was about to start “in earnest”, this could produce “reflection and this result”.

Palmer, who is on bail, will return to court on Thursday for a pre-sentencing hearing.

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