Cutter walks as his victim carries scars
The nightmare is ending for Lock but the man he brutally assaulted isn’t so lucky
THERE was a loud sigh of relief in the Cairns District Court yesterday morning when Judge Dean Morzone declared South Cairns veteran Daniel Lock would be spared a term of imprisonment for his punch on opponent Riley McCall.
An experienced court reporter noted during the hearing that she had not seen the gallery that full in some time.
The gallery was packed with Lock’s South Cairns Cutters teammates and his coach, as well as friends and family.
There was crying, hugs, the loud sigh of relief and even a few smiles when Lock was told his fate – 240 hours of community service and no conviction recorded.
The maximum penalty for the offence is 14 years jail.
While there were plenty of Lock supporters in attendance, there was no representation of Cairns Saints footballer Riley McCall, who Lock pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm to.
What was the reaction from McCall, his family and his football club?
Yesterday, there would not have been much reaction to the decision.
Their pain, fear and trauma is starting to dissipate because the McCall family has dealt with and suffered through Lock’s actions for the past 11 months.
They would not have cried yesterday. They did their cry- ing on June 10, 2017, and in the days and weeks following the brutal assault during the AFL Cairns match at Fretwell Park.
The court was told that without surgery McCall might not have been able to chew properly again.
In McCall’s victim impact statement, read in court yesterday, he said he could not speak properly for some time after the punch, he could not eat solid food, his confidence was affected and he felt threatened by the South Cairns football club.
McCall has told Cairns Saints he will continue to play with the club now that his jaw, which was broken in three places from the punch, is repaired, but never against Lock’s club.
There were hugs and high fives outside court yesterday as Lock’s supporters celebrated the decision. For them, the court case is almost over, with the 36-year-old to perform his community service – the maximum amount – within the next two-and-a-half years.
For McCall, the incident and the fear he has inside him will live forever and there will be a constant reminder every time he reads the AFL Cairns fixtures and sees a Cutters game is just around the corner.