August 20, 2013

The jailing of a 18-year-old man with no criminal record for an assault that left a man injured is a warning to the community about the dangers of people getting intoxicated late at night.

Kingaroy Police Officer-In-Charge Senior Sergeant Duane Frank, speaking to announcer Michael Monk on Radio 4SB this week, said over-intoxication led to dangerous situations and people ended up getting hurt.

Snr Sgt Frank said that in the last week’s court case, just one punch was thrown.

“One thing led to another, a punch was thrown – one punch – and someone has suffered some serious injuries,” he said.

Snr Sgt Frank said he wanted to highlight the offender had no previous history – he was a “clean skin” – but he still went to jail over the assault.

“Obviously the courts take it seriously, the community takes it seriously, and the ultimate penalty was imprisonment,” Snr Sgt Frank said.

“History shows that one punch can kill. The person hit falls down, they hit their head, they get brain injuries or in a worst case scenario they lose their life.”

Snr Sgt Frank said assaults like this also tied up a lot of other services.

“It involves the police, the QAS; it ties up nurses and medical staff at the hospital and obviously there’s repercussions if someone gets injured they might have to be flown out be helicopter, taken to Brisbane and they may have some long life-lasting injuries,” he said.

He urged people to look after their mates if out at night.

“If people are going out in groups together it’s about watching your mates,” he said.

“If someone in that group does get too intoxicated, there is responsibility on the other people to take appropriate measures.

“Remove that person from the area and send them home.

“Put them in a taxi or get a sober driver to take them home or get someone to come and collect them.”

* * *

Jimmy Franks, 18, pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court last week to one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm following an incident in Kingaroy at 1:00am on March 25.

Magistrate Mark Bucknall sentenced him to six months’ jail and set a parole release date after two months. The victim in the assault suffered a fractured eye socket.