Knocked out over cigarette

A CAIRNS father broke another man’s jaw because he took a cigarette.

He also stole nearly $20,000 from a house guest’s locked suitcase because he spent all his money.

Kyle John Lambkin’s actions resulted in a 33-month jail term after he pleaded guilty to numerous offences including grievous bodily harm and stealing property worth more than $5000. He will be released on parole next May.

The Cairns District Court heard that on August 4 last year Lambkin became so angry when he saw the victim taking a smoke from his packet that he followed him down the street and punched him in the face knocking him momentarily unconscious.

The blow fractured his jaw to the roots of two teeth and he needed surgery to insert metal plates and screws. “Hopefully when you look back on that it’s certainly not worth a few cigarettes,” Judge Dean Morzone said.

Just over a month later a tourist, who was on a working holiday and staying at Lambkin’s home, left a locked suitcase containing $17,000 in US, Australian and New Zealand currencies in his room totalling about $19,500 in Australian currency.

While he was out Lambkin stole the money, converting some of it and depositing it in small amounts across various accounts.

The court heard that he had no more money after spending it all on baby items ahead of the arrival of his first child.

Defence barrister Rochelle Logan said Lambkin was a “man with a serious psychiatric illness” including schizoaffective disorder, PTSD and personality disorder and as such his moral culpability was less.