Jail for assault on teen siblings

A CAIRNS magistrate sent a young man to jail for assaulting two teenagers, slapping one child so hard across the face he suffered temporary hearing loss.

The children, aged 14 and 17, were coming to the defence of their sibling, who had been involved in an argument with Thomas Christopher Haro Mene.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Stuart Berry told the Cairns Magistrates Court that Mene slapped one of the teens across the face and pushed him over.

Acting Magistrate Richard Lehmann said it must have been a “forceful” blow because the boy said he suffered immediate pain and hearing loss.

Mene then punched the other teen in the arm and slapped her cheek.

“This is quite serious behaviour ... it involved physical violence,” Constable Berry said, submitting for 12 months jail with release after four months.

Defence solicitor Sarah Rozenbes said that her client had since removed himself from that situation and no longer had anything to do with the family.

“He instructs he was fairly intoxicated at the time,” Ms Rozenbes said.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault in the Cairns region on July 28 this year.

Ms Rozenbes said for the past five weeks her client had been attending weekly sessions to deal with his alcohol and anger issues.

She submitted the sentence should be nine months with immediate parole.

Magistrate Lehmann said the ages of the two victims were significant aggravating factors.

He accepted that Mene was remorseful, entered early pleas and was addressing his issues, but said that despite the mitigating circumstances the offending required a custodial sentence.

“This offending is of such seriousness that actual imprisonment is called for,” Magistrate Lehmann said.

The court was told the appropriate range was six to nine months jail. And because of the serious level of Mene’s actions, Magistrate Lehmann sentenced him to nine months imprisonment.

He will be released on parole on November 19 this year.

THIS OFFENDING IS OF SUCH SERIOUSNESS THAT ACTUAL IMPRISONMENT IS CALLED FOR

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