October 30, 2013
A 43-year-old Murgon man struck his 62-year-old housemate with a pedestal fan and repeatedly spat on her after a dispute over the collection of the narcotic oxycontin from a pharmacy, Kingaroy Magistrates Court was told on Monday afternoon.
Glen Robert Hunter pleaded guilty to a string of charges including assault, possessing drugs, possessing tainted property, theft and breaching bail conditions.
Police prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said the victim of the assault had told police she was terrified when Hunter threw vitamin and perfume bottles at her, and then spat on her four or five times.
She was scared because she knew Hunter was a Hepatitis C carrier and she feared she could get infected.
When she attempted to shield herself with a blanket, Hunter pushed at her with a pedestal fan and struck her on the side of the face.
Hunter later breached his bail conditions when he attempted to ring the woman to apologise for his actions but he was told “it’s too late for that”.
However the pair have since reconciled, with the woman sitting in the public gallery during the hearing while Hunter appeared on a videolink from Maryborough Correctional Centre.
The court was told the woman was looking forward to Hunter’s release from jail and had supplied him with some cash to assist him while he was being held in custody.
Hunter also pleaded guilty to charges linked to possessing financial documents in different names, including bank statements and superannuation statements containing various people’s personal information.
Sgt Bushell said Hunter could not explain to police how the documents came into his custody.
On another occasion, a driver’s licence in another name, mail addressed to three different people, and a number of bank cards were found in his vehicle.
Police were also called to Murgon Post Office in February after staff became suspicious when Hunter produced a hand-written note and a driver’s licence in another name authorising him to collect an Optus mobile phone.
Solicitor Leanne Gordon, for Hunter, said her client was a former boner, slaughterman and meat inspector who had been prescribed oxycontin for the legitimate purpose of treating pain from a back injury.
However he had become addicted and had begun injecting the drug.
“Many of the behaviours come out of the misuse of the drugs,” she said.
But Magistrate Mark Bucknall said Hunter had previous convictions for dishonesty going back to the 1990s.
“He’s a dishonest person … he fully knew what he was doing,” he said.
Mr Bucknall said the assault was a cowardly and disgusting act, particularly as the victim was elderly and particularly when Hunter knew he had Hepatitis C.
For the assault, Mr Bucknall sentenced Hunter to three months jail, cumulative to any other sentence he is already serving (Hunter is in custody after a suspended sentence he was serving was revoked).
On the bulk of the other charges, Hunter was place on 12 months probation. He was also ordered to perform 80 hours community service in lieu of forfeiting his vehicle.
Convictions were recorded on all charges.
