Cousins’ fight ends with skull caved in

AN ARGUMENT between cousins escalated into an assault so violent one man suffered a caved-in skull that required four metal screws, a court has been told.

Colin John Mitchell pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm in the Toowoomba District Court on Thursday.

The court heard on February 13 Mitchell was at his cousin’s house in Cunnamulla when about noon the pair got into an argument, and Mitchell was told to leave.

Crown prosecutor Shontelle Petrie said Mitchell, 26, retaliated with violence, punching his cousin before kneeing him in the head.

“He has grabbed his cousin around the head and when his cousin has lost balance he has pulled his cousin towards him and he has kneed him in the head, and that’s what has caused the grievous bodily harm,” Ms Petrie said.

The victim suffered a depressed skull fracture, and two days later was flown to Toowoomba Hospital where he had metal plates and four screws inserted in his head and suffered serious disfigurement caused by the assault.

The court was told Mitchell had been in custody since March 12, 2021 when he was extradited from NSW after fleeing the state following the assault on his cousin.

“There are echoes of this violence throughout Mr Mitchell’s history,” Ms Petrie said.

Defence barrister Phil Hardcastle said his client was a father of two and was expecting his third child.

Mr Hardcastle said Mitchell intended to return to live in St George.

“The best submission I can make is that this wasn’t a protracted attack,” Mr Hardcastle said.

Chief Judge Brian Devereaux had a pointed message to the man he first convicted nine years ago.

“I hope that soon you get sick of having to come to court because of your violence and grow up,” he said.

Mitchell was sentenced to a 30-month jail term, with a non parole period of 10 months. With time served he will be eligible for release on January 11, 2022.