Prison for ‘brutal’ case of road rage

A ROAD rage incident at Dodges Ferry in 2016 involved brutal violence that could have killed the victim, a court has heard.

Christopher David Jenkins, 32, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and one count of wounding.

The Supreme Court in Hobart yesterday heard Jenkins and his brother Nicholas Tyson Wallner, 22, were driving in Dodges Ferry on July 7, 2016, when Trevor Grigson, who was driving a van, turned into their path.

Prosecutor Katie Groot said Mr Grigson believed it was safe to turn but Wallner, who was driving the other car, had to apply the brakes to avoid a collision.

The court heard Jenkins yelled at Mr Grigson, who replied, “You want to f…in’ slow down, mate,” and left the area.

Six days later, Jenkins and Wallner were again driving in the area, this time with Jenkins behind the wheel.

About 5.50pm they saw Mr Grigson in his vehicle.

Ms Groot said Jenkins drove closely behind Mr Grigson and flashed the high beam headlights at him.

She said both men stopped their vehicles and Jenkins approached Mr Grigson, punched him three times to the face, said, “You f…ing c..., you pulled out in front of us last week”, and punched Mr Grigson again.

As Jenkins walked back to the car which his brother was still in, Mr Grigson reversed into it.

Jenkins’s lawyer, Todd Kovacic, said this “incensed” Jenkins and he and his brother decided to follow Mr Grigson, who drove to a friend’s house.

The court heard Jenkins approached Mr Grigson outside his friend’s house and struck Mr Grigson with a metal pipe.

Ms Groot said Mr Grigson received treatment at the Royal Hobart Hospital for a laceration to his forehead between his eyes, a laceration to the top of his head, and a graze above his right eye.

Justice Brett said the injuries could have been much worse.

“It could have killed him,” he said.

Justice Brett described it as a “violent confrontation”.

“I regard this as a serious case of assault and wounding,” he said. “This was a case of two men who decided to seek revenge for what they regarded as a wrong done to them by inflicting violence with the use of a weapon. … The violence inflicted was brutal.”

Jenkins, who has prior convictions in Tasmania and NSW, was sentenced to 2½ years in jail, with a non-parole period of 18 months.

Wallner pleaded guilty to his role in the crimes in December and received a 12month suspended sentence.

Justice Brett said Wallner did not have any relevant prior convictions and played a lesser role in the crimes.